US Department of Commerce has released a report titled “Digital Matching Firms: A New Definition in the Sharing Economy Space,” providing a government definition of digital matching firms, the department said.
Digital matching firms are companies that use Internet and smartphone-enabled apps to match service providers with consumers, help ensure trust and quality assurance via peer-rating services, and rely on flexible service providers who, when necessary, use their own assets.
The report provides an initial assessment of the sector´s size and scope based on publicly available data of the largest firms in the industry. It also examines the potential effect of what is commonly known as the sharing economy on consumers and service providers.
US Department of Commerce is responsible for fostering an environment that supports the invention and commercialization of new products and technologies.
Given their overall growth, digital matching firms are spurring policymakers to think about how to capture the benefits of technology-driven change without abandoning important aspects of the current industry practices, such as workers´ rights, consumer safety, equal access, environmental protection, and privacy.
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