See an updated response from Airbnb below…
Airbnb dances a fine line between brilliant and abhorrent — as so many sharing apps do. They provide average people with an alternate source of income that can legitimately change their lives for the better. But, then, they’re still a massive multinational corporation with agendas, tax shelters, and profit motivations. As a result, we’ve seen benefits and drawbacks on all sides.
The Hotel Association of New York City (along with a very long list of other groups) has a beef with Airbnb specifically for eating into their market share. So the Association launched a salvo against the room sharing app that equates Airbnb to be a purveyor of terrorism and crime in general. Their 30-second ad — which is airing on cable TV during prime time — opens with the ominous question, “Who’s in your building?” From there it notes that terrorists in Manchester used a short-term rental before carrying out an attack at the Ariana Grande concert.
The attack ad goes on to note that Airbnb has refused to give addresses to the NYPD and other law enforcement authorities in New York. The ad points out the San Francisco, Chicago, and New Orleans have already successfully petitioned Airbnb to hand over this information.
The attack ad was posted on Share Better’s YouTube channel. That group is distinctly anti-Airbnb and posts ads slamming the room sharing company for evading taxes by using Ireland as a tax shelter and causing housing crises all over the world. To be fair, this is true. Some cities like Berlin, Barcelona, and others have started cracking down hard on Airbnb for screwing their local housing markets over and evading local hotel taxes. However, linking Airbnb to terrorism seems like a pretty deliberate manipulation.
Airbnb was quick to respond with their own ad. Their response ad — aptly called Scare Tactics — uses the typical Airbnb copy of a struggling family making extra and essential income by being able to rent out their house/room on Airbnb. It’s a drum that Airbnb loves to beat. But it still doesn’t address their corporate practices or housing issues created by the deregulation of the hotelier.
Is Airbnb responsible for terror attacks because terrorist used their service before an attack in Manchester? No more than the Days Inn is responsible for 9/11 because those terrorists stayed at their hotel the night before they carried out their attacks. Still, there are plenty of issues surrounding the sharing economy that deserve and require conversation.
UPDATE:
Airbnb has issued a formal letter to leading members of the Hotel Association over their group’s flagrant attack ad. Specifically, the letter was addressed to CEOs of Wyndham Worldwide, Marriott International, and Choice Hotels. The letter from Airbnb doesn’t hesitate to call out the Hotel Association over their ad’s extreme language.
“Your ad is misleading, plays to xenophobic fears, and is beneath the dignity of the hospitality industry. It is an affront to the victims of terrorism, and its shock and abhorrent xenophobia is only equaled by the irony of it being paid for by hotels, where, as the New York Post recently noted while covering your ad, ‘lots of terrorists have stayed.'”
The letter goes on to list the ways Airbnb screens hosts and guests against terrorist watch lists, sexual offenders lists, and even check criminal records.
The letter closes with an olive branch for the two industries to work together when facing the stark realities of terrorism and providing a crime free environment in the hospitality industry for their customers.
“Terrorism is a scourge, and it’s a threat we all face. We have a responsibility to work together to prevent the cowardly acts of individuals or organizations that seek to attack innocent people and destroy our way of life. The public, our consumers, and our employees will all be better served if we work together and learn from another. The fear mongering you have demonstrated does not make us safer.”
Surely there will be a response from the Hotel industry over this matter. We’ll keep you updated.
(Via The Verge)
