SoylentNews is people
SoylentNews
Airbnb has tweaked its rules and reservation system to lessen discrimination:
Online rental marketplace Airbnb will address reports of widespread racial discrimination against non-white guests by displaying photos less prominently on its website, promoting instant bookings and changing some of its technology, according to a report commissioned by the company. The report, released on Thursday, followed months of criticism of Airbnb, sparked partly by comments under Twitter hashtag #AirbnbWhileBlack about discrimination against black people. "Bias and discrimination have no place on Airbnb, and we have zero tolerance for them," Chief Executive Officer Brian Chesky wrote in an email to users. "Unfortunately, we have been slow to address these problems, and for this I am sorry."
Before the end of the year, Airbnb will roll out changes to its reservation request system that emphasize trip details, reviews and verified IDs while testing various formats that downplay users' photos, said the report from Laura Murphy & Associates. San Francisco-based Airbnb will also expand its instant book program, which allows guests who meet preferences preset by hosts to make reservations without prior approval, to 1 million of its 2 million listings by January. Under that program, hosts can require guests to provide Airbnb with government issued ID or have or a 4.5 out of 5 star rating to be approved for booking. Hosts can also cancel bookings without paying a fee if they have issues with guests' behavior. The company will also implement technology that prevents hosts from booking new guests if they tell another guest their listing is unavailable for the same time frame.
Also at The New York Times , which notes that the company had hired former Attorney General Eric Holder and other advisers such as the former head of the ACLU's D.C. Legislative Office Laura Murphy and civil rights attorney John Relman to help design the new policies.
Here is the report Laura Murphy submitted to Airbnb, entitled Airbnb's Work to Fight Discrimination and Build Inclusion (32 page PDF).
(Score: -1, Flamebait) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 10 2016, @07:33PM
But I still want to make a shitton of fucking money! Why won't airbnb let me be a greedy racist!! Dude bro the sharing economy isn't disruptive enough without racism!!!
(Score: -1, Flamebait) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 10 2016, @08:03PM
Who would? They ruin every neighborhood you put them in. They're almost as bad as self-loathing white male SJWs who love to make themselves feel superior by destroying hypothetical strawmen.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 10 2016, @08:08PM
Yow! destroying hypothetical strawmen feels so QUIXOTIC
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 10 2016, @08:10PM
It does however pave the way for a competing service, and will make a ghetto out of one or the other.
One of the arguments for the Civil Rights Act was that change would not have happened on a wide basis, which is why anti-discrimination laws were needed.
Airbnb does not have the authority of the government (and laws concerning renting a private residence are very lax), which opens Airbnb up to people taking their ball and going elsewhere.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 10 2016, @08:21PM
By some astonishing coincidence, the Civil Rights Act suffered a significant loss of public approval some time around 2008-2009.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 10 2016, @08:35PM
It's arguable whether the Civil Rights Act made any significant advances socially, and probably galvanized a degree of racism that won't be going away any time soon.
But as far regulating business, equality before the law is a cornerstone, I just doubt Airbnb has the authority to dictate to the market in any meaningful way.
(Score: 1) by garrulus on Saturday September 10 2016, @09:02PM
you probably meant this ironically, which is sad
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 10 2016, @11:25PM
Yeah there are way too many non-ironic posts on this story.
Confirming all the worst stereotypes of soylent users.
Ironic.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday September 11 2016, @05:07PM
"Your" wife already does.
Keep that cuckold shed dormitory in repair faggot white boi.