Airbnb responsible
When it comes to parties, Airbnb has a few reservations. The home-sharing site announced a temporary party ban back in 2020, codified the move permanently in June, and are now introducing what they are calling "anti-party technology" in the US and Canada.
The move comes in the wake of a solid 12 months for Airbnb, which has seen the number of stays and experiences booked on the site bounce back above pre-pandemic levels. Reservations hit the 100 million mark for the second consecutive quarter, equating to $17bn of gross booking value, which suggests the company can afford to be a little more selective with their admissions policies.
The party-preventing tech is a little less sophisticated/dystopian — depending on your perspective — than it sounds. The tools will reportedly just analyze users’ profiles and previous booking activity to assess the likelihood of "bad actors" turning up and throwing unauthorized parties.
A new way to stay
It's hard to deny the impact that Airbnb has had since being founded in 2008. Consumers got options beyond traditional hotels and hosts had a new way to monetize their otherwise-empty homes. However, the San Francisco based company hasn't been without its critics. Some have accused the platform of driving up housing costs in hotspot areas as well as hollowing out communities by shipping in short-stay visitors with little regard for neighbors. The new party measures might help get some of the locals back on side.
