Dearest Susn17 from Dublin Ireland,
What a delightful response to wake up to this morning. News travels far and fast, and we live in a small world. Cavendish Blvd is a few blocks away from where I live and work. I will be sending Mr. Zukran an email shortly to organize a meeting.
Something in your message must have activated some bells and whistles in some office in San Fransisco, because immediately after I got an email from them saying this:
"My name is Charlene and I work here at Airbnb in a specialized team. I hope this email finds you well.
We understand that you would like to exercise one of your rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), namely the right of access.
Airbnb is required to verify that the person making the request is the data subject entitled to the information being requested. We have implemented identification and verification procedures to ensure that we do not edit, delete, or hand over personal information to a person impersonating a data subject.
We kindly ask you to send us both of the following:
A re-statement of your request
A photocopy of a valid official government ID such as your driver’s license or passport to validate your identity and to facilitate your request
Your request and a copy of your proof of identity can be delivered by email to dpo@airbnb.com or by answering this e-mail."
What is this specialized team? What request? I thought our relationship was "terminated". Why do they want my (latest) ID info, when they already have all of this?
You can say many things about Quebec, but what is admirable is the way they stand up for regular people. It's what makes living here so pleasant. I wouldn't be surprised if Airbnb's ToS itself violates Quebec commercial law - nonwithstanding the latest digital short-term stay law which is going to wipe out 80% of its offering in Montreal this spring with fines and penalties of up to 25 000$ per listing.
Again, Airbnb, if you are listening (and it appears you are), this is the point where I offer the fig leaf. I offer you the chance to reinstate my account and remove this ridiculous blockade, and we can all forget this happened and go back to our regular lives.