Companies that use their property – distribution networks, in this case – to profit from others without providing wealth creation back to society.
AKA Landlords, Realtors®, Middlemen, Licensures etc.
AKA Landlords, Realtors®, Middlemen, Licensures etc.
Of course, this doesn't mean that it's impossible for a landlord it middleman to be a rent-seeker, but they would need to pursue some type of artificial benefit/restriction on others in order for this to be the case. This does happen often, but I have no idea why OP would suggest rent-seeking is the primary activity of sharing economy companies. One of Uber's greatest accomplishments has been significantly weakening the rent-seeking taxi industry.
Uber is very much within the "virtuous cycle" – but they may also become rent seekers via monopolization of private transportation.