Airbnb exec resigned over concerns company shared too much data with China

[Melodie-And-John0]

I just heard about Airbnb's data sharing practices-

"The former chief trust officer of Airbnb was so concerned about how much user data the internet behemoth was sharing with China, he resigned from his post last year after just six months on the job.

Sean Joyce, Airbnb’s former chief trust officer — also a former deputy director with the FBI — reportedly resigned last year over concerns about how much user data the company was sharing with China.

"According to the paper, Chinese officials asked for more data in the summer of last year — specifically requesting “real-time data” which wonuld alert them to when someone first books a property. This alarmed Joyce, who “worried such data-sharing would enable Chinese government surveillance and put members of minority ethnic groups such as repressed Muslim-majority Uighurs at risk.

Joyce raised the alarm with Chief Executive Brian Chesky and co-founder Nathan Blecharczyk, who leads Airbnb’s China unit, to which Blecharczyk reportedly said, “We’re not here to promote American values” — prompting Joyce to resign.”-   New York Post

This concerns me, its not just American values we are talking about here @Nathan1 and while I don't know a single Uighur, they and others that arent drinking the communist Kool-Aid don't deserve to be outed, possibly jailed or worse and their families persecuted because they made the mistake of booking through Airbnb.   I'm being forced to sign an anti discrimination agreement that makes me accept pets in my home without warning as terms for staying with Airbnb yet the mothership is purposely engaging in practices that are absolutely discriminatory and predatory in nature with a nation that is known to do very bad things to its citizens and ours that don't toe the communist line.   It feels like two different companies, the one that cares for everyone regardless,  and one that sells its soul to the devil for a piece of his pie.   Does anyone else find this to be a problem or is it just me?  Stay well, JR

[Melodie-And-John0]

@Sarah977 , this thread was not intended to be political but I guess everything is if you think about it a moment including Airbnb playing reindeer games in China! 

To be honest, NY is a tale of two diametrically opposed yet inextricably linked states (The Hudson Mason Dixon).  Its Texas and California (Talifornia) rolled up into one screwed up state, the 8 million in NYC rule and command the entire state of 20 million and that little city smaller than a tiny downstate county could be lost in my back yard.   I can relate with @Christine2773  's notion that uniform national policy doesnt take into consideration that most parts of Texas and many  counties in NY are nothing like most parts of NYC, San Fran or Montreal, the rules cant be the same when nothing else is equal.    

Also, as a lifelong New Yorker, I can say that we have nearly zero as the Empire state to be proud of when it comes to Covid response, our governor is a shameless, low talent and tasteless actor with Empirical and Presidential aspirations.  His urin poor nursing home rehab decisions caused killed more at risk humans than any state in the union (and most of them combined) to ensure "NYS Billable services were rendered and paid for" instead of using the Javits Center hospital and US Mercy ship's tens of thousands of beds equipped with the highest trained staff in the state and nation for free!!!!! 

And be sure, most of the infections from Alaska to the tip of the Texas panhandle came from Europe via NYC.  The daily Chris and Andy show may have won Jr Mario an Emmy but the cost to our state and nation was 270,000 lives not to mention the spread to Canada and South America that the gateway city provided.  

So now where we are at is a pandemic that has done exactly what pandemics do best, become a problem for the entire world!  Its not all New Yorks fault, their is lots of blame to go around the world and be shared by all.   Vaccines will begin shipping in two weeks or less thanks to a very proactive US administration that empowered private industry to be the best it has ever been in the shortest time ever (thank you Uncle Don for the awesome Christmas gift!!!!!!!!).   Lets not cut ourselves apart when we are so close to really turning the tide back on this thing.     Stay well, JR

[Sharon1014]

ABNB's push into China is indeed a huge problem @Melodie-And-John0 .  It's a move that could back-fire on the company badly and cost investors dearly.  I also have been wondering how one reconciles "creating a world where everyone belongs" with a totalitarian regime that does not share the democratic values of the 5 Eyes nations.  I think this is a really bad judgement call on the part of the company and one that needs to be revisited asap.  Investors and market commentators alike are likely to see this harnessing of an emerging market not as a positive (as marketed in the IPO prospectus) but a big negative and high risk venture, given the company's extensive exposure to the geo-political risks in the region and its willingness to dismissively capitulate to totally unreasonable demands.

Joyce was right to resign.  Nathan Blecharczyk needs to pull his head out of his designer rear end and start thinking more strategically from a wholistic business perspective.

Greed has a way of creating tunnel vision.

@Sarah977 @Anonymous  @Christine2773 

[Melodie-And-John0]

Agreed @Sharon1014 ,  I'm not a big "New World Order"  Supporter but I do believe all nations that pride themselves as being "free traders" should require nations we trade with protect and defend basic property and human rights of their citizens and ours when they are doing business in their nation.  China needs the US and free worlds communities acceptance far more than we do theirs.   Our effect is only as good as our commitment as multi national businesses to not accept human right regressive and internationally aggressive costs as the going price for doing business with them.   The cold war was the only thing that was able to destabilize The Soviet Union enough to force it to fall apart at every seam,  Mother ship Russia is still a work in progress but at least its not colonizing new territories monthly anymore and the gulag's are mostly history.     

We have a grave responsibility to our friends, brothers and sisters that come from China, North Korea, Syria, Iran and other totalitarian repressive nations to hold ourselves and them to a higher level of performance to receive a dime of our money or an ounce of respect.  I hope our recent election doesn't signal these nations that they can do what they want now and just thumb their noses at rights as long as they deliver an endless supply of cheap mufflers...