UBER EXPANDS in emerging markets.

Uber’s rapid and unprecedented growth since it began to operate internationally in 2012 has caused it to clash with regulators in developed and emerging markets alike. As a herald of the new sharing economy, anti-Uber movements like those in France last month often seem to be underlaid with protectionist and anti-market sentiments. Uber’s low-cost offering, UberPop—which doesn’t require drivers to have any special certification or licenses—has already been banned in Spain, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands, and faces scrutiny nearly everywhere it operates.

As authorities in Hyderabad appear willing to find a suitable framework to accommodate the ride-sharing company, Mexico City is similarly trying to find balance between allowing Uber to operate freely and demands that it be expelled from the city entirely. For its part, Uber says it is willing to work towards “[r]egulation that allows us to continue to provide service that is quality, safe and efficient.” Indeed, these should be the only criteria that legislators have in mind when pondering how to regulate the burgeoning sharing economy.

An excellent approach, but one that offers insufficient opportunities for graft.