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Event Description

The Federal Trade Commission held a workshop to explore issues relating to emerging internet peer-to-peer platforms—often called the “sharing” economy—and the economic activity these platforms facilitate. The workshop examined competition, consumer protection, and economic issues arising in the sharing economy to promote more informed analysis of its competitive dynamics as well as benefits and risks to consumers. The workshop considered if, and the extent to which, existing regulatory frameworks can be responsive to sharing economy business models while maintaining appropriate consumer protections. It also examined how various regulatory choices may affect competition and consumers.

Information about the plans for the sharing economy workshop, including a list of questions for public comment, is available in the workshop announcement.

Video and Transcript

The workshop webcast videos are available for viewing (under Video, below). Viewers may want to review the panelist slide presentations (under Event Speakers, below) as they watch the videos. A transcript of the workshop is also available (under Transcripts, below).

  • 8:30 am

     

    Welcome

    William F. Adkinson, Jr., Attorney Advisor, Office of Policy Planning, Federal Trade Commission

    8:45 am

    Opening Presentation by The Honorable Maureen Ohlhausen, Commissioner, Federal Trade Commission

    Introduction by Marina Lao, Director, Office of Policy Planning, Federal Trade Commission

    9:00 am

    		Introduction to the Morning Panels: Framing Presentation by Professor Liran Einav
    9:15 am

    Panel 1
    Sharing Economy Platforms: Market Design and Market Structure

    Panel Participants:

    • Liran Einav, Professor, Department of Economics, Stanford University
    • Chiara Farronato, Assistant Professor of Business of Administration, Harvard Business School (Fall, 2015)
    • Joshua Gans, Professor of Strategic Management, Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto
    • Glen Weyl, Senior Researcher, Microsoft Research; on leave, Department of Economics, University of Chicago

    Panel Moderator:

    • Nathan Wilson, Economist, Bureau of Economics, Federal Trade Commission

    10:45 am

    		BREAK
    11:00 am

    Panel 2
    Mechanisms for Trust in the Sharing Economy

    Panel Participants:

    • Chrysanthos Dellarocas, Professor, Information Systems, Questrom School of Business, Boston University
    • Andrey Fradkin, Postdoctoral Fellow, National Bureau of Economic Research
    • Ginger Jin, Professor, Department of Economics, University of Maryland
    • Chris Nosko, Assistant Professor of Marketing, Booth School of Business, University of Chicago
    • Steven Salter, VP, Standards and Services, Council of Better Business Bureaus

    Panel Moderators:

    • Andrew Stivers, Deputy Director, Bureau of Economics, Federal Trade Commission
    • Cecelia Waldeck, Attorney, Bureau of Competition, Federal Trade Commission

    12:15 pm

    		Platform Power, Reputation, and Regulation: Policy Framing Presentation by Professor Arun Sundararajan

    12:30 pm

    		LUNCH (Constitution Center cafeteria)

    1:35 pm

    Presentation by Catherine J.K. Sandoval, Commissioner, California Public Utilities Commission

    Introduction by Marina Lao, Director, Office of Policy Planning, Federal Trade Commission

    2:00 pm

    Panel 3
    The Interplay between Competition, Consumer Protection, and Regulation: Business and Regulatory Views

    Panel Participants:

    • Matthew Daus, Partner, Windels, Marx, Lane & Mittendorf, LLP; former Chairman, New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission
    • David Hantman, Head of Global Public Policy, Airbnb
    • Ashwini Chhabra, Head of Policy Development, Uber Technologies
    • Brooks Rainwater, Director, City Solutions and Applied Research Center, National League of Cities
    • Vanessa Sinders, Senior Vice President and Head of Government Affairs, American Hotel and Lodging Association

    Panel Moderators:

    • Julie Goshorn, Attorney, Office of Policy and Coordination, Bureau of Competition, Federal Trade Commission
    • William F. Adkinson, Jr., Attorney Advisor, Office of Policy Planning, Federal Trade Commission
    3:30 pm BREAK

    3:45 pm

    Panel 4
    The Interplay between Competition, Consumer Protection, and Regulation:  Policy Perspectives

    Panel Participants:

    • Lee Peeler, President and CEO, Advertising Self-Regulatory Council; Executive Vice President, National Advertising Self-Regulation, Council of Better Business Bureaus
    • Sofia Ranchordás, Resident Fellow, Information Society Project, Yale Law School; Assistant Professor, Administrative Law, Tilburg University
    • Maurice Stucke, Associate Professor, University of Tennessee College of Law
    • Arun Sundararajan, Professor, Information, Operations and Management Sciences, Stern School of Business, New York University
    • Adam Thierer, Senior Research Fellow, Mercatus Center, George Mason University

    Panel Moderators:

    • Marina Lao, Director, Office of Policy Planning, Federal Trade Commission
    • Megan Cox, Attorney, Division of Privacy and Identity Protection, Bureau of Consumer Protection, Federal Trade Commission
    5:15 pm Closing

    Julie Goshorn, Attorney, Office of Policy and Coordination, Bureau of Competition, Federal Trade Commission

     

  • Request for Comments

    The public comment period is now closed. Click the link above to view the received public comments. Public comments were accepted between April 17, 2015 and August 4, 2015.

FTC Privacy Policy

Under the Freedom of Information Act (“FOIA”) or other laws, we may be required to disclose to outside organizations the information you provide when you pre-register. The Commission will consider all timely and responsive public comments, whether filed in paper or electronic form, and as a matter of discretion, we make every effort to remove home contact information for individuals from the public comments before posting them on the FTC website.

The FTC Act and other laws we administer permit the collection of your pre-registration contact information and the comments you file to consider and use in this proceeding as appropriate.  Under the Freedom of Information Act or other laws, we may be required to disclose to outside organizations the information you provide when you pre-register.  For additional information, including routine uses permitted by the Privacy Act, see the Commission’s Privacy Act system for public records and comprehensive privacy policy.

This event will be open to the public and may be photographed, videotaped, webcast, or otherwise recorded.  By participating in this event, you are agreeing that your image — and anything you say or submit — may be posted indefinitely at ftc.gov or on one of the Commission's publicly available social media sites.

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