Airbnb is limiting how hosts in Oregon see guest profiles displayed on the app in an effort to combat racial discrimination in the state.
The new policy begins on January 31, when hosts will only see users’ initials until the reservation is confirmed. The Washington Post reports. The move is related to the Settlement of a lawsuit in 2019 which was brought against the company by three black women in Oregon who said the site allowed vacation rental owners to discriminate against black people.
The Associated Press previously reported that Airbnb changed its policies in 2018 so that photos are only shown to hosts after they accept a reservation. The Oregonian/OregonLive reported that the three black women who sued the platform, Pat Harington, Carlotta Franklin, and Ebony Pricealleged that by requiring and disclosing users’ full names and photographs, Airbnb was enabling its hosts to discriminate against black users in violation of Oregon’s public lodging laws.
After the 2019 settlement was announced, Airbnb and plaintiffs’ attorneys said in separate statements that the platform renewed its commitment to “review and update the way profile names are displayed to hosts as part of the booking process”.
In a December 22 blog postthe company described its efforts to eliminate racial bias on its platform.
“Because the impact of this change is unknown, implementation will be limited” to Oregon, Airbnb spokesperson Liz De Bold Fusco said in a statement to BNC News on the new experimental policy.
“This update is consistent with the voluntary settlement agreement we reached in 2019 with individuals in Oregon who raised concerns about how guest names are displayed when they seek to book an announcement”, according to Airbnb’s statement. “As part of our ongoing work, we will learn all the lessons from this process and use them to inform future anti-bias efforts.”
In June 2020, Airbnb launched Flagship Projectan initiative in partnership with the non-profit advocacy group Color Of Change, and with advice from organizations like Upturn, leGrio reported. Through Project Lighthouse, the company studies when and where racial discrimination occurs on the platform and the effectiveness of policies that combat it.
“While we have made progress, we still have a long way to go and continue to work with our hosts and guests, as well as civil rights leaders to make our community more inclusive,” Airbnb wrote in a statement. signed, according to the report.
“If they take this, they analyze it using Project Lighthouse, they report those results to the public, and then consider implementing this policy more broadly, that’s what deserves praise and applause” , said an anti-discrimination campaigner. Johnny Mathias of the color of the change.
It remains to be seen how Airbnb’s new policy in Oregon will play out.
This article contains additional information from The Associated Press.
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