FTC Addresses Sharing Economy Following June Workshop

Federal Trade Commission Chairwoman Edith Ramirez recently made statements regarding regulation of the developing "sharing economy" exemplified by on-demand apps and websites such as Uber and Airbnb that connect sellers of a service with buyers nearly instantaneously and without traditional middlemen.

Last week, in a speech at Fordham University Law School, Chairwoman Ramirez recognized that, in some instances, regulations directed at traditional business models are not well-suited to new methods of doing business as they are still being developed, and expressed concerns about "imposing legacy regulations on new business models." That being said, she cautioned, regulators such as the FTC should still enforce protections that affect consumer health, safety, or privacy. Ramirez stated: "[W]e must allow ... these new peer-to-peer business models to flourish," however "targeted regulatory measures may be needed to ensure that these new business models have