Sharing economy platforms and competition: empirical analysis of ridesharing apps regulation in Brazil

Abstract

In few years, ridesharing apps completely changed Brazilian private transportation dynamics, causing great impact and drawing regulatory authorities’ attention. The innovation benefited the society, but also caused a backlash from regulators driven mostly by taxi drivers, who claimed that the apps (mainly Uber) created unfair competition conditions. Through an empirical analysis, this article aims to assess to what extent the existing Brazilian regulations address the criteria defined by the competition authority’s Department of Economic Studies. It also seeks to analyze the challenges faced by Brazilian regulators while dealing with innovative services, and the difficulties to structure an effective advocacy strategy.