Those of us who have spent our careers fighting discrimination in all its forms have been deeply concerned by reports of bias by Airbnb hosts, and allegations that Airbnb’s platform might have helped facilitate some of the discrimination. Clearly strong and immediate measures were — and are — needed to end bias throughout Airbnb’s system.
That is why we are so pleased about the steps Airbnb is taking, not only to stop discrimination that is occurring in its system now, but also to prevent it from recurring. The measures and policies Airbnb announced today are impressive and have the potential to make a real difference for its customers. We commend the company, in particular, for the long-term commitment it is making to continue this work by putting in place experts who will address discrimination that occurs in the future quickly and effectively.
Today marks an important step in ensuring fairness in the short-term rental space. We look forward to Airbnb’s continued progress in rooting out and preventing discrimination.
