Business standards company, BSI has released a publicly available specification, PAS 202:2019 'Sharing economy - operation of an online platform', to help accelerate the development of the sharing economy. It specifies the requirements for operators of online platforms to effectively match the assets and skills of providers with customers and users.

Head of manufacturing at BSI, Nick Fleming said: “We are witnessing a huge impact on consumer behaviour with peer-to-peer platforms and services now commonplace. When internet customers and providers don’t know each other it can raise insecurities around trust. This leads to a reliance on user reviews for evaluation and recommendations for specific products and services of interest, such as seen with Air BnB, LiftShare and StubHub."

Aimed at the various commercial and not-for-profit platform operators and users across all sectors and locations, this specification offers guidance on safety and consumer protection, management and resourcing activities, risk management and evaluation, as well as encouraging continual improvement of the service.

Chair of Sharing Economy UK, Olivia Knight,said: "SEUK is delighted to have helped formally define what good practice looks like for sharing economy businesses. Customer confidence and trust drive the success of the UK’s sharing economy, so it’s been extremely valuable to work with the experts at the British Standards Institution to create this comprehensive guide.”

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