Showing archive for: “Gig Economy”
Speaking at events next week on privacy/data security and merger enforcement
I’ll be participating in two excellent antitrust/consumer protection events next week in DC, both of which may be of interest to our readers: 5th Annual Public Policy Conference on the Law & Economics of Privacy and Data Security hosted by the GMU Law & Economics Center’s Program on Economics & Privacy, in partnership with the ... Speaking at events next week on privacy/data security and merger enforcement
How Uber uses innovative management tactics to incentivize its drivers: A critical commentary on Noam Scheiber’s “How Uber Uses Psychological Tricks to Push Its Drivers’ Buttons”
In a recent long-form article in the New York Times, reporter Noam Scheiber set out to detail some of the ways Uber (and similar companies, but mainly Uber) are engaged in “an extraordinary experiment in behavioral science to subtly entice an independent work force to maximize its growth.” That characterization seems innocuous enough, but it is ... How Uber uses innovative management tactics to incentivize its drivers: A critical commentary on Noam Scheiber’s “How Uber Uses Psychological Tricks to Push Its Drivers’ Buttons”
How to Regulate: An Overview
So I’ve just finished writing a book (hence my long hiatus from Truth on the Market). Now that the draft is out of my hands and with the publisher (Cambridge University Press), I figured it’s a good time to rejoin my colleagues here at TOTM. To get back into the swing of things, I’m planning ... How to Regulate: An Overview
Rationally Defeating Cronyism in the Boston TNC Suit
On March 31, a federal judge gave the city of Boston six months to rectify the disparities between the way it treats Transportation Network Companies (“TNC”) (such as Uber and Lyft) and taxicab companies. This comes pursuant to an order by US District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton in a suit filed by members of ... Rationally Defeating Cronyism in the Boston TNC Suit
Penalizing Innovation: The FAA’s Regulation of Drones
As the late Nobel Laureate James Buchanan and other economists have long pointed out, even in the case of market failure, regulation is only potentially justified if economic welfare under regulation is likely to be higher than under an unregulated market – not an easy test to meet, in light of rampant government failure. Nevertheless, ... Penalizing Innovation: The FAA’s Regulation of Drones
Sharing the Wealth: Gig Economy Moves Toward a Portable Safety Net
Today, thirty-nine different companies and policy experts from a wide swath of the political spectrum signed a letter urging lawmakers to create a “portable benefits” platform that will enable sharing economy companies to continue innovating while simultaneously providing desirable social safety net benefits to workers. This is well timed, as there is a growing consensus ... Sharing the Wealth: Gig Economy Moves Toward a Portable Safety Net
Thomas Hazlett on Joshua Wright
Josh Wright is a tour de force. He has broken the mold for a Washington regulator — and created a new one. As a scholar, he carefully crafts his analyses of public policy. As a strategic thinker, he tackles the issues that redound to the greatest social benefit. And as a champion of competitive markets, ... Thomas Hazlett on Joshua Wright
A Vision of a Class-Free Society – California Suit Against Uber Makes Little Sense
Uber is currently facing a set of plaintiffs who are seeking class certification in the Northern District of California (O’Connor, et. al v. Uber, #CV 13-3826-EMC) on two distinct grounds. First, the plaintiffs allege that Uber systematically deprived them of tips from riders by virtue of how the service is presented to end-users and how ... A Vision of a Class-Free Society – California Suit Against Uber Makes Little Sense
The Green Shoots of the NYC Taxi Rules on Ridesharing Companies
I am of two minds when it comes to the announcement today that the NYC taxi commission will permit companies like Uber and Lyft to update, when the companies wish, the mobile apps that serve as the front end for the ridesharing platforms. My first instinct is to breathe a sigh of relief that even ... The Green Shoots of the NYC Taxi Rules on Ridesharing Companies
Debunking the Myth of a Data Barrier to Entry for Online Services
Recent years have seen an increasing interest in incorporating privacy into antitrust analysis. The FTC and regulators in Europe have rejected these calls so far, but certain scholars and activists continue their attempts to breathe life into this novel concept. Elsewhere we have written at length on the scholarship addressing the issue and found the ... Debunking the Myth of a Data Barrier to Entry for Online Services
Permissionless innovation does not mean “no contracts required”
UPDATE: I’ve been reliably informed that Vint Cerf coined the term “permissionless innovation,” and, thus, that he did so with the sorts of private impediments discussed below in mind rather than government regulation. So consider the title of this post changed to “Permissionless innovation SHOULD not mean ‘no contracts required,'” and I’ll happily accept that ... Permissionless innovation does not mean “no contracts required”
