Airbnb is buying a scam-fighting background check technology
The technology works by analyzing data from public sources, such as social media.
Airbnb is getting more serious when it comes to keeping fraudulent listings and shady renters off the website. According to Bloomberg, the short-term rental platform is buying Trooly Inc., a startup specializing in background checks to fight off scammers. Airbnb has been using Trooly's service to authenticate user identities since 2015, but now the company is making its tech an integral part of the platform by purchasing its intellectual property and its engineering team.
The publication says Airbnb has been having trouble controlling the presence of listings created by bad players posing as home owners, as well as guests trying to bypass it and contacting hosts directly for almost a decade. Trooly tries to prevent both instances by analyzing data from any public record of the host or renter it can find, including social media and other sources. While Airbnb's spokesperson refused to talk about specifics when he confirmed the acquisition to Bloomberg, we hope this move leads to even fewer scams on the website in the future.
