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Airbnb makes good on its promise to house the displaced
Airbnb said it would help hosts take in refugees and evacuees as a response to President Trump's attempted immigration ban, and it's following through on that promise. The home rental service has launched a promised website that lets you volunteer to host people who need temporary housing, focusing on refugees and those displaced by natural disasters. As before, it's also accepting suggestions for other groups that could benefit from the offer.
Study suggests Airbnb hosts are unfair to people with disabilities
A recent study conducted by researchers at Rutgers University found evidence that Airbnb hosts might be less likely to rent to people with disabilities. But there are some important limitations to consider in regards to the findings. The researchers created fake profiles with pictures of white men around 30 years of age and messaged nearly 4,000 Airbnb listings across the country. When inquiring about the host's listing, some of the "renters" would ask if the unit was accessible to one of four disabilities: blindness, dwarfism, cerebral palsy or a spinal cord injury.
Airbnb tries its hand at tour-guiding
Airbnb has always wanted to be more than just the app you use to rent someone's spare bedroom for a night on the other side of the world. That's why the company is beefing up its Trips feature to help you get the most out of your excursions. Specifically, Airbnb is changing the way its For You tab works in order to ensure that you know what's going to be hot when you land.
Airbnb agrees to register all hosts in San Francisco
Airbnb, HomeAway and San Francisco have finally set aside their differences and figured out how to automatically register all hosts in the city. The house-sharing service sued the city in federal court after an ordinance was passed by supervisors that levied fines against short-term rental companies that allowed guests to book with unregistered hosts.
Airbnb makes it easier for road warriors to find a room
Airbnb is becoming a more popular option for business travelers. Employees from more than 250,000 companies around the world have signed up to use it for work, the company says. So, Airbnb caters to these road warriors with a new search tool that shows only listings suited for business travel.
Hotels pressure the government to crack down on Airbnb
There's no doubt that the hotel industry hates Airbnb -- the home sharing service lures many would-be customers away through lower rates and the perks that come from staying in someone else's abode. So how does it fight back? By pushing the government to crack down. The New York Times has learned that the American Hotel and Lodging Association has been conducting a "multipronged, national" lobbying and research campaign to have politicians impose or toughen restrictions, selectively collect taxes and draw attention to the negative side-effects of home sharing. Reportedly, the AHLA is partly responsible for at least some of the higher-profile regulatory moves against Airbnb in the past year.
Airbnb fights off account hijackers with new security tools
If you get hacked on Airbnb, you won't only have to worry about criminals getting ahold of your credit card details. You'll also have to fret about internet scammers knowing exactly where you're staying on a particular date or the addresses of the properties you own. In a blog post, the company has announced that it has added new security measures to protect your account from hijackers. Starting today, you'll have to authenticate every new phone, tablet or computer you log into by typing in the unique code Airbnb sends you via text or email. It's no two-factor authentication, but it can at least lessen the chances of a rando getting into your account.
Browse Airbnb's vacation add-ons from your desktop
When Airbnb launched "Experiences" and "Immersions" last year, the company made it clear it was expanding beyond spare room rentals and into more general travel planning. Until now, however, users could only browse and search for those side trips through Airbnb's official mobile apps. Over the past few weeks, Airbnb has been steadily adding new trips in even more cities around the world, and starting today Experiences are now available on the desktop and mobile web so you can daydream about your next vacation or business trip from the comfort of your work computer.
How to turn your armchair activism into online good
A lot has been going on around the world lately, and you may have felt the need to express your frustrations at things happening that you don't agree with. Sitting around and complaining about the injustices happening around you is fine (relatively speaking) when you're a teen with limited resources. But as a grownup, you should help the causes you support. In addition to pledging money, signing petitions and participating in one of the many marches around the nation, there are several other ways for you to help people in need without having to leave your house. And you can do them regardless of your political leanings.
58 tech companies file amicus brief against revised travel ban
Nearly 60 tech companies have submitted an amicus curiae brief to a Hawaii district court on Wednesday, denouncing the Trump administration's revised travel ban, which is scheduled to go into effect on tomorrow.
Airbnb might soon be legal in Japan
Looks like Airbnb is faring a lot better in Japan than in its own home: it might soon be able to legally operate within the country. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's cabinet has given its blessing to the proposed rules that will be imposed upon the service, and they're now on their way to be approved by Japan's National Diet. While home owners won't have to worry about breaking the law when they list their properties, the service's legalization comes with a price. The rules include a 180-day limit on rentals per year, and not all home owners are happy with the restriction.
Tech titans back transgender student's Supreme Court case
Apple has officially signed an amicus brief in support of Gavin Grimm's case that's hitting the Supreme Court later this month. In addition, Cupertino has successfully helped convince other tech titans to support the transgender student's fight for the right to use the bathroom that matches his gender identity. According to TechCrunch, the company worked with non-profit org Human Rights Campaign to reach out to potential signatories in the tech industry. Their crusade was so successful, tech corporations ended up dominating the list of 53 companies that signed the brief.
Apple, other tech giants will support transgender student's case
Several tech titans plan to sign an amicus (friend of the court) brief in support of a 17-year-old transgender student's fight in court, according to Axios. Apple, Microsoft, IBM, PayPal, eBay, Airbnb, Box, Yelp, GitHub, Salesforce, Slack and Tumblr are expected to back Gavin Grimm's legal battle against his school board for the right to use the bathroom that matches his gender identity. The amicus brief, created by LGBT organization Human Rights Campaign, will be filed in favor of Grimm for the Supreme Court hearing scheduled to take place on March 28th.
Transgender protection rollback sparks opposition from tech
On Wednesday, the Trump administration announced that it would roll back federal protections for transgender citizens and require states and local school boards to decide how (or, more accurately, whether) they would enforce these people's civil rights. Given that Silicon Valley tech companies routinely portray themselves as paragons of diversity and tolerance, these companies would surely be equally incensed at the government's current attempts to regulate where children can pee. However, the responses so far have failed to directly address the president's recent actions, instead generally relying on passive statements that extol their valuation of diversity and inclusion.
Airbnb sued by major US apartment landlord
Here's a huge one for the ever-growing pile of lawsuits filed by and against Airbnb. Apartment Investment & Management Co. (AIMCO) has sued the rental service for "helping tenants breach their leases," according to The Wall Street Journal. Denver-based AIMCO, one of the biggest landlords in the US, owns and manages over 50,000 apartments across the country. Real-estate research firm Green Street Advisors told the WSJ that this is the first time Airbnb has been sued by a major landlord. Other apartment owners might now feel emboldened to follow suit if the service refuses to cooperate with them.
Airbnb's rehabilitation tour doesn't end with a Super Bowl ad
Airbnb's rehabilitation tour came to a dramatic climax on the evening of Feb. 5th, 2017. In between downs of the 51st Super Bowl, as dozens of beefy men slammed their bodies together to the cheers of millions, Airbnb aired an advertisement presenting itself as a compassionate, socially conscious company. "#WeAccept," Airbnb declared over a slideshow of stoic faces, most of them people of color. Light piano music accompanied the white text, which read, "We believe no matter who you are, where you're from, who you love or who you worship, we all belong. The world is more beautiful the more you accept."
New York City starts cracking down on illegal Airbnb listings
New York's ban on short-term rentals has officially started cracking down. As the New York Post reports, a notorious Manhattan landlord and a Brooklyn real estate broker were hit with 17 total violations of the new law. Each violation carries a $1,000 fine.
Super Bowl LI commercials were heavy on tech and politics
For people who don't care about football, watching the Super Bowl is mostly about enjoying the overhyped commercials that happen during the event. (That and the half-time show.) Naturally, tech companies see this as an opportunity to connect with mainstream audiences, leading them to spend millions of dollars on cheesy ads. A good example of that is T-Mobile's Super Bowl LI spot featuring Justin Bieber, in which he promotes the carrier's unlimited plans by showing off his "#UnlimitedMoves." Yup, we know.
Airbnb wants to house 100,000 displaced people in five years
Airbnb was one of several tech companies to take a firm stance against Trump's immigration ban last weekend, but the company has since expanded its assistance beyond just those affected at American borders. In a blog post titled #weaccept, Airbnb's founders outlined a goal to provide short-term housing for 100,000 displaced people in the next five years. It will start with refugees, disaster survivors and relief workers, and has pledged to contribute $4 million over four years to the International Rescue Committee.
GitHub rallies Silicon Valley companies to oppose Muslim ban
GitHub plans to meet with a number of Silicon Valley tech companies to discuss filing an amicus brief in lawsuits targeting Trump's immigration and refugee ban.
