Should corporate disclosure be regulated? A review of theoretical and empirical literature

Resumen

Mandatory disclosure regimes and fair disclosure regulations have been in place for years in developed economies on both sides of the Atlantic. But why is it necessary to regulate disclosure? There is a great deal of research documenting the economic implications of voluntary and mandatory corporate disclosure. However, the existing debate on the necessity of regulation remains open, and the empirical evidence for the net benefits of regulation is still inconclusive. This paper surveys the theoretical and empirical economic literature on this subject and highlights a number of relevant questions to provide directions for future research in the light of the emergence of Internet financial reporting and the potential use of social media in corporate disclosure.