Panelist, "EQUALITY ONLINE: Discrimination Issues in the Digital World and Sharing/On-Demand Economy," DOWNLOAD, Davis Wright Tremaine, Los Angeles

The push for equality has moved online, as anti-discrimination and employment-related laws are now being applied to operators of websites, mobile applications, and sharing and on-demand economy platforms. Two issues confronting the digital world are:

1. Discrimination in the sharing/on-demand economy: What can sharing and on-demand economy platforms do to prevent racial and other discrimination against users (such as car drivers, home rental hosts) or on-demand service providers?
2. Employment issues in the sharing/on-demand economy: Are individuals who provide services using third-party platforms (such as dog sitters or child care providers) employees of the companies that provide the platforms? What can platforms do to reduce the risk of such a finding while enhancing the safety of their users?

In this thought-provoking session, leading experts discussed these equality challenges as well as:

• The legal landscape: What the courts and legislative bodies are doing
• What may be coming down the pike from regulators and advocacy groups: What to expect and how best to respond
• Practical steps companies can take to address anti-discrimination and employment laws as they operate in the digital age: Practical ways to avoid additional risk