Evolving Platform Responsibilities Under Regulation: A Comparative Study of Internal CSR Practices in Ride-hailing Platforms Across the EU, the US and China, and Implications for Sustainable Development

Abstract

This examination delves into the regulations from China, the EU, and the USA to understand what major ride-sharing companies like DiDi, Uber, and Lyft are doing internally, particularly in areas such as customer assistance and collaboration. Based on findings, it is evident that the EU's integrated rights-based framework can encourage standardized practices and compliance-oriented behavior, making corporate social responsibility (CSR) often an extension of legal requirements. The absence of U.S. federal legislation has led to fragmented regulations, prompting ride-hailing platforms to navigate state-level rules through political lobbying and state-specific benefit strategies. To strategically adapt, China employs categorized governance and incremental policies, aiming to help platforms strike a balance between accountability and flexibility, particularly in areas like algorithms and benefits. The study reveals how the regulatory structure shapes the strategic choices of CSR of online ride-hailing platforms through institutional pressure, expands the explanatory boundaries of CSR theory in the context of online ride-hailing platforms, and provides theoretical basis and practical inspiration for the sustainable governance of the most representative online ride-hailing industry in the gig economy.