Most Canadians Oppose Government Banning Sharing Economy Services Like Uber, Airbnb

At many levels, it seems Canada’s governments want to control—and, in some cases, outright ban—sharing economy services like Uber and Airbnb.

But a recent consumer survey conducted by Nanos Research shows that a majority of Canadians oppose the banning of both ride-sharing and home-sharing services.

When asked their level of support for banning ride-sharing services such as Uber, more than three
in five Canadians say they oppose (41%) or somewhat oppose (21%) this; 9% are unsure.

“The results of the survey clearly show that Canadians enjoy the expanded options offered by ride-sharing services like Uber,” said David Clement, North American Affairs Manager of the Consumer Choice Center. “This demonstrates that legislative moves to ban, or over-regulate, ride-sharing goes against the wishes of the public at large.”

And the numbers are similar when it comes to Airbnb.

When asked their level of support for banning homesharing services such as AirBnb a majority of
Canadians say they oppose (37%) or somewhat oppose (23%) this. 13% are unsure.

“The poll demonstrates that legislators should be wary when proposing legislation that would seek to over-regulate, or ban, these services,” affirmed Clement. “When it comes to temporary accommodation, legislators should embrace home-sharing and avoid heavy handed regulation and bans.”