What is this PAS about?
It was written to help accelerate the development of the sharing economy. It does so by providing requirements for commercial platform operators which, when applied, will result in users having a trustworthy and reliable online experience.
Who is this PAS for?
- Operators of online platforms providing services as part of the sharing economy
- Not-for-profit and charity platform operators
- Regulators
- Users of platforms within the sharing economy
Why should you use this PAS?
The sharing economy uses the internet to match providers of assets and skills with customers and users who’ll benefit from them. Better use can be made of available goods, skills, services, capital and spaces. AirBNB is an example. Space not currently in use is sold to people who want to use it via a website.
The sharing economy covers both free and fee-based transactions and can provide reserve capacity for managing the impacts of planned and unforeseen events.
Generally customers and providers don’t know each other and the structures common to traditional business transactions – such as guarantees and compensation mechanisms – are often absent. So sharing economy customers often rely on user reviews customized for specific products and services, and usually involving a form of evaluation rating of providers.
Commercial platform operators should use this PAS because it specifies requirements for providing a robust service within the sharing economy. It covers:
- Safety and consumer protection
- Management activities
- Resourcing
- Risk management and evaluation
- Continual improvement of the service
The PAS doesn’t directly cover the technical aspects of cyber or information security with regards to managing an online platform, but it specifies requirements for a governance structure to manage associated risks.
The requirements apply for all platform operators across all sectors and locations, and their use will result in a reliable and positive experience for users. This in turn will nurture user confidence in the sharing economy model, thereby accelerating the development of a sharing economy sector.