Standards Development

Scope

This document specifies general trustworthiness and safety requirements applicable to commercial and digital platform operators administrating platforms within the sharing economy. This document is also applicable to not-for-profit platform operators.

Purpose

Combination of widespread internet use, technological developments, and economic model innovation has led to the emergence of sharing economy in which platforms enable providers and users to exchange products and assets. The sharing economy is generally expected to provide benefits, creating opportunities between providers and users and reducing the burden of ownership and promoting the development of technology.

What problem does this document solve?

While sharing economy is beneficial to our society, this new economic form can cause problems to the users and providers because exchanges often take place among individuals/organizations who don’t know each other.

The problems can include:

- The service provided does not meet the quality expected

- The service is not delivered timely as promised

- The service provided does not meet the quality expected

- Bad manners or discrimination by providers/users

- Insufficient understanding of services due to lack of or unclear information

- Lack of user privacy safeguards or an unclear

- Breaches to data protection, and unauthorized data sharing

- Exposure to physical harm, frauds and scams and problems related to product safety

- Difficulties in making and addressing complaints

Is there a verified market need for the proposal?

There is a possibility that the problems stated above prevent people from joining the sharing economy. Therefore, there are strong market needs that transactions become safer and more trustworthy in order to achieve a sound expansion of the sharing economy market.

Clearly specifying the requirements for digital platforms, as proposed in this document, can help establish robust digital platforms that are the key to minimize risks and maximize value of the sharing economy.

What value will the document bring to end-users?

This document will clearly specify requirements for each function of the platforms, i.e., registration of users and providers, authentication of user/provider accounts, monitoring of transactions, payment processing, and mutual review, and redress and complaint handling. The document will therefore facilitate and/or support exchanges between providers and users.

In the safer and more reliable sharing economy that this document can bring about, the end-users (the providers and users) can enjoy their activities with minimized risk, and maximized value. This document can also lead to a sound expansion of the sharing economy which will give users more opportunities and possibilities.  

Other This document will be developed as a Technical Specification, but depending on the situation after publication the TS may be upgraded to an International Standards.