Can shared economy companies be properly regulated? Some experts think so

Faced with this conundrum, some experts have suggested a new path: self-regulation

Capitalism without intelligent regulation often means trouble, and Uber has become the poster boy for this struggle. The ride sharing giant has fought bitter regulatory battles in many countries and cities, sometimes at the expense of sidetracking some of its most ambitious and promising projects.

Challenges of this nature are not new. Entrepreneurs have always had to negotiate with sceptical policymakers who wonder how new technologies and business models will or won’t fit into existing regulatory frameworks. Most innovative firms incur significant costs before they can meaningfully explore consumer appetite, and they don’t want that sidetracked. They realise, however, that