Airbnb Answers: Guest profile photos

[Airbnb]

Update: January, 2019

A few months ago, we told you about some changes Airbnb was making to the way guest profile photos are displayed. You can read the original post, below.

Now that those changes are being introduced gradually, we want to make sure you have all the information you need. Here’s a recap of what will be changing, along with some tips.

New photo process

Moving forward, rather than displaying a potential guest’s profile photo before the booking is accepted, you’ll receive a guest’s photo after you’ve accepted the booking request. If you have Instant Book turned on, you won’t notice a change to the booking process.

Airbnb does not require guests to have profile photos. Although most guests provide a photo, some have told us they don’t want to share a picture of themselves when booking, and we listened.

At the same time, many of you told us that you value guest profile photos, and we listened to you, too. That’s why we’ve introduced a new option for hosts to be able to customize their own booking requirements.

New host control

You now have the option to require that your guests provide a profile photo. Again, the photo will be visible to you only after you accept the booking request. If you’d like to require your guests to provide a profile photo, you’ll need to turn on the control option in your settings for each of your listings, either on mobile or on web. Specifically:

On mobile:

1. Go to the listing you’d like to require profile photos for
2. Tap Booking settings
3. Tap Guest requirements
4. Look for the Profile photo section and tap Edit
5. Tap Require a profile photo
6. Tap Save

On web:

1. From your host dashboard, click Listings
2. Click Booking settings
3. Next to Guest requirements, click Edit
4. Check the box next to Profile photo
5. Click Save

If you take this step and a potential guest doesn’t already have a profile photo, they’ll be prompted to upload one before they can request to book your space. A guest’s profile photo will not be available to you until after you accept the booking request. If the guest doesn’t want to provide a photo, then they won’t be able to book your space. 

Additional support

If you choose to require that your guests have a profile photo and one of your potential guests uploads an image that doesn’t show their face—a photo of a sunset or their dog, for instance—then you can call Airbnb’s Community Support. They’ll work with you to address the issue, and if you feel uncomfortable hosting someone without a photo that shows their face, you can request to cancel the reservation penalty-free.

As a reminder, Airbnb’s nondiscrimination policy prohibits hosts from making booking decisions or canceling reservations based on race, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, or marital status. 

As an extra step, as always, you can require guests to provide a government ID to Airbnb in order to be able to book your space. You can read more about that process here.

Why these changes are important

We talked with lots of hosts and guests about profile photos, and we think these changes satisfy the core concerns and feedback we heard. We’ll be paying close attention to how these changes to profile photos affect our community, and will continue working to improve and simplify the process to ensure you feel comfortable hosting. We hope you’ll share your feedback with us so we can continue to build a community where everyone can belong. Thank you for hosting.

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October, 2018

You've been asking a lot about guest profile photos, and Airbnb has been working on new policies to address your concerns. Here is an update from Airbnb:

Today, we’re announcing some changes we will be making to the way we display guest profile photos.

Moving forward, rather than displaying a potential guest’s profile photo before the booking is accepted, hosts will receive a guest’s photo in the booking process only after they’ve accepted the booking request. Airbnb does not require all guests to provide a photo. Instead, we’ll be giving hosts the option to ask their guests to provide a profile photo, which will only be presented to hosts after they accept the booking. We have discussed some of this work in the past and we want you to know more about the changes we will be making in the coming months.

We have participated in a number of conversations with hosts and guests regarding this topic. We have listened to our community, and while most guests provide a photo, some guests told us they don’t want to share a picture of themselves when booking. We also recognize that concerns have been raised about the potential for photos to be misused in a way that violates our nondiscrimination policy.

At the same time, hosts have told us that they value profile photos because they can help hosts and guests get to know one another before a trip begins and help hosts recognize guests when they check in. Additionally, we’ve seen how photos can be a useful tool for enhancing trust and promoting community.

We want to balance these concerns. Airbnb does not require guests to provide a profile photo when booking a listing and, as we discussed earlier this summer with our hosts, we will be implementing a series of changes in the months ahead:

• If a guest chooses to provide a profile photo, that profile photo won’t be displayed to the host as part of the booking process until after the booking is confirmed.
• Because some hosts value profile photos and want to be able to know who they can expect at their front door, we will give hosts the option to ask that guests provide a profile photo prior to booking, which will only be presented to the host after the host accepts the booking request. This new option comes with important safeguards that are designed to ensure our community is fair and open to everyone:
  • Hosts must turn on this feature for each of their listings proactively, before they receive a reservation request.
  • If a host asks for a profile photo, we’ll prompt guests to upload one to their Airbnb profile before they can request to book that host’s particular listing; however, the photo will not be presented to the host until after the booking is confirmed.

If a host cancels a reservation after they see a guest’s photo, the guest will have an easy way to contact Airbnb and report any concerns about potential discrimination by the host in violation of our nondiscrimination policy and Community Commitment. If any guest believes he or she has been discriminated against and notifies our team, we’ll immediately help them book an alternative listing consistent with our Open Doors Policy, investigate the report, and take appropriate action. Any host who violates our nondiscrimination policy may be permanently banned from using Airbnb.

This announcement follows the commitment we made in 2016 to evaluate how we display guest profile photos in the booking process. As we implement these changes in the coming months, we hope you’ll share your feedback with us so we can continue to make thoughtful changes that make the Airbnb community a place where everyone can belong.

[Amanda815]

Michael I made my listings unavailable yesterday, I do not understand how we can communicate to everyone to begin a strike.  Hoping you do.  I don’t know how to hashtag either.  I want to be heard in protest.  ****

*[Personal information hidden for safety reasons – inline with the Community Center Guidelines]

[Susan1028]

@Amanda11

Just copy and paste this: #AirbnbShutdown

[Amanda815]

#AirbnbShutdown

Paste it where?

[Jo13]

Hello Michael,

Much of what you have said here resonates with me. I have changed my profile picture to the type that we now see when receiving booking enquiries, I am formulating my email to Airbnb, and I will be removing my listing from the platform.

In addition to that, I will not be using Airbnb as a guest until they make restitution with their hosts.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts here!

-Jo

[Michael2399]

So, here's my email to the customer service of Airbnb (please also write all to the customer service!):

Dear Airbnb employees,
Yesterday I found out by chance of a new change, which I find very bad: the profile pictures of requesting persons, are displayed only after the booking.
I find this very unfavorable, because I would like to see who wants to live in my apartment. Since I am not a hotel, I have a very different attitude to the risk and also to the responsibility that I have to the other residents in a multiple dwelling. After about 8 years experience in the rental and hundreds of guests, I can actually estimate who I want to receive and who not.
When choosing the guests helps me of course, the age and a photo. For example, I can estimate if there could be a loud party in my apartment!
Unfortunately, I have already had a lot of negative experiences and have not received any help from Airbnb. Therefore, information about the guest is absolutely necessary. That's exactly why I chose Booking.com and Airbnb.
When Airbnb hires new employees, the company does not blind it, does it? You also look at an application folder and invite the candidate to a conversation, or not?
It has nothing to do with discrimination or anything like that, it's about getting an idea, whether it's the job interview at Airbnb or a booking request, so I can decide "if I'm comfortable with it."
Yes, exactly, "if I'm comfortable with it" !!! Do you remember it, that's what Airbnb used to be!
Here I ask that the profile pictures are made visible again.
Many Thanks!
Best regards

[Dan-and--Mary0]

I don't agree with this new rule. We have to show pictures of our home and give descriptions ,  And allow complete strangers in our homes ,Yet they don't have to show a profile picture up front. I also enjoy knowing about them, so I can add personnel items based on their interest.  It has helped me know who to expect at my door and in my home. I have never denied anybody based on their profile picture. I'm sure it has unfortunately happened to some. And I apologize for the ignorance of some host. But I feel a up front picture is important for me. I love being a host when I do host. Thank you.

[Donata12]

This is the answer from Airbnd support i received. It looks like they really do not understand why we have a problem with this decision. On top of everything else, 50% of us cannot even implement the feature that requires guest to provide a picture after booking. 

I think we should start a protest all together, ideas?

QUOTE: help from AiB

Thanks for your response, Donata. 


Lyudmyla, Airbnb has actually introduced a new feature in which guests profile photos will not show for hosts until bookings are confirmed.
Airbnb will not require guests to provide a profile photo prior to booking a listing to avoid discrimination against guest booking.

If a guest chooses to provide a profile photo, that profile photo won't be displayed to the host until after the booking is confirmed
Because some hosts value profile photos, hosts will have the option to require them, with some restrictions:

The host will not be able to see the guests' profile photo until the booking is confirmed

Hosts must proactively enable this setting for each of their listings before they receive a reservation request

However, this is a feature that has been opened for only 50% of the total host population as an experiment to check as of now. It might be possible the feature is not available under your settings right now. However, please be assured if this experiment goes well then it would be extended to other hosts.

However, I have a small request for you right now. If you could, kindly help us with this valuable feedback on our feedback page. Please be assured no feedback gets unnoticed and I assure product team will get a better update for all of us in coming days. I am sharing the link to our product feedback page below.

https://www.airbnb.co.in/help/feedback

Hope this information is helpful. However, please do let me know in case of any additional concerns and I would be delighted to assist.


Regards,UNQUOTE

[Susan1028]

This is still an active page:

https://www.airbnb.com/trust

[Luca511]

I know some hosts that haven't got this feature. Shall we feel discriminated too? Even having instant booking which is ultimately the open doors to all, I feel completely vulnerable with this new policy. I hate the new interface, dislike communicating with an initial. Airbnb gave guests a blank card to play with. 3rd booking parties are not covered by Airbnb host guarantee and it will rise, as well as fraud. I guest airbnb is not worried about it so they don't need to honor their Airbnb host guarantee policy, since someone else is in our homes. We are all uncovered.

[Rosemary113]

I actually disagree with this new policy. I asked my guests to supply me with a photo before I accept their reservation as we do have complete and utter strangers living in our house with us.

We supply a complete profile including a photograph of ourselves, our various vocations, sporting activities, and cultural interests.

We supply our guests with a Kiwi cultural experience as people have travelled a long way to get to New Zealand and it is up to us to ensure they enjoy their stay in Christchurch. So the more we know about them the better we can serve them.

We like to meet them at the door when they arrive with a welcoming smile, and the recognition of who they are. This can only be done by a profile photo and the knowledge of their background. We give our guests more than those who would like to have their property treated like a backpackers lodge. So when they leave they have a lovely memory of staying with us as our guests in our house.

[Николай10]

.

[Susan1028]

This page is still active:

https://www.airbnb.com/trust

Perhaps it's time to remove it unless ABB plans to reverse the recent photo policy and live up to their claims.

This policy was launched without any notification to hosts, "super" or otherwise.  Existing and prosepective hosts have a right to know what they're signing up for.  "Superhost" has no meaning if to keep that designation, we have to put ourselves at risk or lose it if we attend to ourr safety...as ABB also absolves themselves of any liability in ways most hosts haven't even thought of.  I think that called betrayal of trsut as well as total disregard for our value and safety.

A familiar refrain in this thread has been; "why would anyone want to stay where they're not wanted/valued?"  It fits.  This is no longer a safe place for hosts.

I've researched and chosen 2 competitor's sites and will be listing with them.  I'll still have the ability to choose who I host and dialogue before approval and...the prevailing rates per night are at least 20% higher with the booking fees being in the same percentage.

I chose ABB over the rest because they mirrored my own philosophy about hospitality and other ethical issues important to me.  I give my business to those I see as allies in creating a better world...for all, not just the few.  I also choose my airlines, mobile phone, financial institution, grover, and every other provider I patronize based on those criteria because the only way we will create a better world is to walk our talk according to a credo of Integrity. 

I'm about the win-win.  If someone's gioing to betray my trust and safety in an unnanounced ambush, they've lost not only my business, but referrals and respect, the latter being the most important.

If being a billionanaire 50 times over isn't enough, especially with the growing global disparity between the "haves and have-not's" (many of the latter being hosts that depend on the income and made ABB what it is) , then ABB has become part of the problem.

In the end these "old school" business tactics aren't aren't sustainable, and have lead us down a road of global destruction., which is what will happen to this company when it's gobbled up and regiurgitated as a clone of the rest...or put on a shelf to eliminate the buyer's competition.

Without trust and integrity, they may sell out for billions more, but they've become just like the rest, destroyed their own creation, and alienated a global population that won't forget this for a very very long time.

Strong words, yes...and I've lived long enough to see this happen many times.  "Show me the Money" wass th creedo of the '80's, many "boomers" became the exact capitalists they purported to hate, and although those who chose that many have "made bank"...at what cost?

There's a lovely woman who created an organization that fed over 10 BILLION hungry people who talks about "sufficiencey" or "having enough" to have all you need and have enough to share with those who do not.

I work hard running 3 businesses and I have enough, and I help others.  This isn't stroking my own ego, it's making a point.

This world has far greater problems than whether a handful of billionnaires walk away with more billions adding to those problems.  This world cannot go on as it has been, and this is another example of what got us all here.

Yes, life will go on, but one cannot buy respect, and once it's been compromised, it's very rare to earn it back.

I wrote a post about Gratitude for enabling me to create one of my dreams with my business here.  I also sent it as feedback and a message to Support, hoping it might get a reaction...or at least a thank you from those we wish would listen to us

Not a peep.

No one's listening...even to a complement.

This community has been wonderful for those of us on the ground, and created a layer of connection that's helpepd make ABB work, and without any reply to the almost 1000 posts her fromm the management yea or nay...it's just another example of "lip service" (@Lizzy exempted).  She's got her hands full right now, and having been in customer service my whole adult life, I bless her patience and professionalism, which has been far more consistent than that of Support.

I'm really glad I tried this. I made another business around diong what I love and my reviews are 5 star across the board from truly wonderful people I've hosted. I Made "Superhost" in less than 2 months and have maintained it, even as the criteria and other unannounced rollouts have all but sabotaged us in that (ex: the "Location" category added to reviews and that we will LOSE it under this "no photo policy" if we choose safety first). 

There is not question about choosing safety first, and anyone who would try to strong arm us into compromising that does not deserve my business, referrals, or my respect.

I'd love to see the havoc that would be created  in the lives of those who've imposed these rules had to live by them.

Trust?  Not here!

[Christine1]

@Susan1028 I  find your posts very thoughtful and well written. Thanks for being part of thus conversation.

Regards Christine 

[Susan1028]

Thank you @Christine0.

I'm totally disgusted with this whole mess.

[Amanda815]

I’m afraid that all the well written posts are not being read by Airbnb.

does anyone know how to make our voices heard?

i blacked out my site 4 days ago as a symbol of protest. I don’t know what else to do.

amanda