'Sharing economy' masks cold business interest

The EU is currently considering how it should respond to the phenomenon which is often called the "sharing economy".

But there is a danger that lawmakers get caught up in a slick Silicon Valley narrative, which portrays profit-seeking companies as altruistic public services.

The sharing economy is the name given to the sector of companies which use technology to connect supply and demand among people rather than existing businesses.

Airbnb, for example, allows people to ren...