Platform adaptation to regulation: The case of domestic cleaning in Europe

Abstract

While online platforms were initially applauded for improving services in a range of sectors, they are currently being criticized for ignoring laws and regulations. We analyse the evolution of Helpling – the largest domestic cleaning platform company in Europe – by focusing on the ways that Helpling has adapted its platform to regulations in five national contexts (France, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom). Using data on changing Terms and Conditions, we show that Helpling initially tried to introduce a single business model across Europe, but quickly started to adapt to national regulatory contexts. Informed by arguments on ‘varieties of capitalism’ in Europe, we base our case study on a comparison of the different national trajectories pursued by Helpling.