FTC To Host Workshop on Online and Mobile Peer-to-Peer Business Platforms
The FTC will host a workshop on competition, consumer protection and economic issues “raised by the proliferation of online and mobile peer-to-peer business platforms in certain sectors of the economy” on June 9, the FTC said in a news release…
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Friday. “We are seeing a dramatic growth in products and services that are built on peer-to-peer platforms, such as ride-sharing and property rentals, as more entrepreneurs harness the power of technology to reach more consumers,” FTC Chairwoman Edith Ramirez said. “Through our workshop, we want to better understand the competitive impact of these new business models, as well as their interactions with existing regulatory frameworks.” The FTC is seeking public comment in advance of and after the workshop on questions such as how state and local regulators can meet legitimate regulatory goals; how sharing economy platforms affect competition, innovation, consumer choice and platform participants; what consumer protection issues, including privacy and data security issues, are raised by these platforms; what particular concerns and issues sharing economy transactions raise; and how effective are reputation systems in encouraging consumers and suppliers to do business on sharing economy platforms. Comments intended for discussion at the workshop will be accepted by May 26. Comments for the record will be held open until Aug. 4.