A former contractor has leveled serious accusations against Airbnb, suggesting the company has scaled back on removing extremists from its platform, a move that could undermine the safety of its vast user base.
Jess Hernandez, a former investigations analyst on Airbnb’s team targeting dangerous organizations, worked with the company from May 2022 to November 2023. According to Hernandez, Airbnb shifted its safety strategy during her tenure, notably after she was directed to restore accounts of individuals banned due to their involvement in the Capitol riots on January 6, 2021.
Her concerns were formalized in a whistleblower disclosure filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission and the Federal Trade Commission in May. Represented by Whistleblower Aid, Hernandez’s claims suggest that Airbnb has significantly cut back on the activities of the team charged with identifying and removing users linked to extremist and dangerous groups.
Airbnb, however, disputes these allegations. The company claims it has expanded its team dedicated to maintaining safety on the platform. A spokesperson from Airbnb emphasized the robustness of their safety policies and the proactive measures taken to prevent access by potentially dangerous users.
Airbnb is a major player in the global accommodation market, boasting over 5 million listings and facilitating more than 132 million bookings of nights and experiences in the early months of 2024 alone. The safety of its platform is crucial as it enables real-world interactions across different regions.
Historically, Airbnb has positioned itself as a pioneer of community safety and trust. In 2016, the platform instituted a community commitment that requires all members to uphold a standard of inclusivity, irrespective of race, religion, or identity—a policy it has used to justify banning users affiliated with extremist ideologies. This commitment was evident when Airbnb canceled bookings associated with the Charlottesville rally in 2017 and removed accounts linked to the Capitol disturbances in 2021.
However, the whistleblower’s report paints a different picture, highlighting a recent gap between Airbnb’s public commitments to safety and the reality of its internal practices. For example, the company came under fire in 2023 for the controversial removal and subsequent reinstatement of the account belonging to the parents of far-right activist Lauren Southern, which followed intense criticism from conservative outlets. According to Hernandez, this incident is representative of a larger trend within Airbnb, where the process of banning dangerous users has become increasingly bureaucratic, slow, and influenced by external pressures.
This disclosure raises significant concerns about the effectiveness and consistency of Airbnb’s safety protocols, potentially affecting the platform’s reputation as a secure choice for global travelers.
