TS ISO 42500

TS ISO 42500 is a standard on the general principles of the sharing economy. It provides a common conceptual framework for understanding platform-based models in which access, matching, and temporary use are organised through digital services rather than traditional ownership alone. In practice, that makes it useful as a shared reference point across different kinds of organizations.

How the sharing economy is understood

In general technical context, the sharing economy refers to business and service models that facilitate the temporary access to assets, services, skills, or capacity. The important distinction is between owning something and gaining the right to use it for a defined purpose or period. Principles such as transparency, trust, accountability, and clear role definition are central to how these models are typically designed and managed, even though this standard is framed at a high level rather than as an operating manual.

Organizations and use cases in scope

The document is intended for all types and sizes of organization, including commercial enterprises, government agencies, and not-for-profit organizations. That broad applicability reflects the fact that sharing-economy thinking is not limited to consumer apps; it can also appear in mobility, accommodation, equipment sharing, professional services, and other resource-access models. The standard helps align terminology and principles across such varied contexts.

• Supports a common understanding of access-based and platform-mediated service models.
• Applies across commercial, public-sector, and not-for-profit organizations.
• Addresses the sharing economy at the level of general principles, not sector-specific procedures.
• Helps distinguish access and use from traditional ownership-based models.