We all know about the upside of collaborative consumption — more efficient use of excess capacity, closer-knit communities, reduced costs, increased sustainability, and a more hopeful economic and social future. However, collaborative consumption models have recently raised flags against regulations designed to ensure safety and fairness for service providers and consumers alike. For example, different health codes apply to commercial and retail spaces. But, where does a popup venue fit within this spectrum? Likewise, how does the law protect minorities and the disabled against discrimination with ride sharing? There is important legal work yet to be done.
As Airbnb co-founder Joe Gebbia expressed at Le Web, the law has yet to catch up with collaborative consumption models, just as once upon a time, cities tried to ban cars from cities. It will take quite a few years for regulators to sift through all of the areas, from privacy to liability to property ownership and so on, impacted by collaborative consumption. In the meantime, we can expect revealing and heated debates between stakeholders and lobbying groups.
For a more complete list of regulations affected by the sharing economy, head on over to FastCompany.
