Airbnb’s experiment in censoring pending guests’ profile pictures…

Trevor26
Level 7
Big Bend National Park, TX

Airbnb’s experiment in censoring pending guests’ profile pictures…

 

Fellow hosts, guests, & the Airbnb team, 

 

After noticing that pending guests’ profile pictures have been greyed out for a time, and after several calls and follow up with Airbnb, I have learned that this is not a glitch, but an “experiment” in which 5% of all global hosts have been enrolled to measure discrimination by censoring guests’ profile pictures.  As a Superhost on Airbnb who has been enrolled without permission or notification…I am disappointed and insulted that Airbnb doesn’t trust me to be non-discriminatory…that as a visual person who enjoys to see the way that people of any race, gender, or ethnicity choose to present themselves and the environment that they frame themselves in are now censored …that Airbnb doesn’t allow me to get to know a stranger a little bit before accepting them into my own home… it makes me feel untrusted…judged…guilty until proven innocent…creeped out (for the guest can see me, my property, and profile, while I can’t see back through that one way window).  To use the cliche “a picture speaks a thousand words”, this move, which did not take into account any feedback, permission, or consensus from hosts, really is a step in the wrong direction. Airbnb is about community and trust. To assume discrimination as a default is really insulting to those of us who are inviting diversity into our own homes. 

 

I have taken the Airbnb pledge to be non-discriminatory, and it is genuine. I enjoy hosting guests of all walks of life, ethnicities, preferences, etc. This should be the default assumption of all hosts until proven otherwise. 

 

When I myself am a guest on Airbnb, in the unlikely but possible circumstance that a host would be discriminatory against me, I’d prefer that host to have the full, unfiltered version of my profile, pictures and all, so that I could avoid being placed in a position where I would be staying in someone’s home who would be discriminatory. 

 

Airbnb, please unblock my guests’ profile pictures. They and I do not deserve to be censored! 

 

 

Thanks, 

 

-Trevor

https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/457547

 

 

 

73 Replies 73
Trevor26
Level 7
Big Bend National Park, TX

Hi All,

 

Thanks for chiming in. Airbnb's upper management removed me from this 'experiment', I guess because I made enough of a fuss and started this thread. I asked them to also notify all hosts who have been enrolled in this experiment to let them know what is going on, or better yet, get their permission first. They could have just asked, "Hey, would you like to participate in an experiment about discrimination?". 

 

Again, my main grievance is the confusion that this has caused everyone involved and lack of transparency and communication with hosts. Like many other hosts, I thought I was getting reservation requests from guests who didn't take the time to complete their profile. When I did figure out what was going on, I was led to believe that I was flagged by a guest for perceived discrimination and was thus being reprimanded. Upper management did confirm that I was chosen at random, like all of you. 

 

I assume that this is a pet project of some team leader and I would also assume that there is some conflict within Airbnb's upper management about this experiment. The representatives who I spoke with on the phone weren't even privy to this experiment and when they themselves looked into it and found out, sided with me and expressed their own discord as well.  I hope that this thread gives ammunition to the those on Airbnb's staff who also think this is a big mistake. 

 

Please let Airbnb operate as a democracy. Let hosts be trusted until proven otherwise. And keep transparency and communication a top priority. These are our own homes that we are opening up to strangers, and we deserve to have a say.

 

Thanks,

 

-Trevor

Paul154
Level 10
Seattle, WA

I remember in 1999, My spanish friend was sending out her CV/resumes to potential employers.

She included a photo of her face, saying it is customary in Spain to do so.

I was shocked! I mean WTF! what difference does it make how I look whether or not I can do a job?

Fortunately, it was not the American custom at the time.

Face pictures are an invitation to discrimination.

We all discriminate. There is a reason TV shows feature beautiful heroes/heroines.

We will more gladly rent to pretty people than ugly people.

 

We are in the hospitality business, not the beauty pageant business. 

You usually can tell more about people's personality by their words and past review.  not their looks.

@Paul154. I agree with you.  If the guest responds and communicates with me in a decent fashion, that's all I need.  Over the years hosting on Airbnb, my fear of strangers has really gone down.  I accept Instant Book guests, newbies, and guests of many races and nationalities.  Don't need a picture...just communicate with me!

I disagree with you. In all honesty most hosts like to know who they are interacting with prior to guests arrival for comfort reasons, same goes for guests... any one who thinks otherwise is mostly using Airbnb for monetary-buisness reasons. Airbnb pride itself as a community based, so embrace it if you intend on staying someone’s home. What good will it do, knowing you arrive in someone’s home when they don’t know who you are, you are more likely to have a bitter hospitality experience if they are already a judgemental host.

 

in school they teach you to look at someone in the face, your parents teaches you that too.. LinkedIn, Facebook, promotes, so Airbnb should be any different. It’s simply a human nature thing.

@O4 I completely understand your point of view since I had this perspective for quite some time.  It has only been in the last year or so that I stopped worrying over a profile picture.  I then started asking myself "What difference does it make?".  My last guest without a profile picture was a Michelin rated restauranteur and was an excellent guest.  

That said, at check out I did advise my guest to upload a picture to avoid getting declined by future hosts.  He told me that he had attempted to upload a picture but wasn't successful.  No ulterior motive for not creating a profile picture.  

Got 5* review across the board from this guest.  

 

Michelle-and-Ray0
Level 10
Kimberley, Canada

@Clare0 "Just to play Devil's advocate, what role does the profile picture play?  You can discuss the specifics of your listing and the guest's purpose of the visit without having to have a profile picture, right?"

Here's the role the photo plays for me.
It's not the fact that the photo itself has anything to do with whether I book someone or not, it is the LACK of a photo that gets my ruff up and makes me wonder what they are hiding, or, like another person mentioned, that they couldn't even have bothered to take the time to put one up. If they can't be bothered to take the time to put up a photo, what else didn't the bother to take the time to do? Did they read the rules? Did they read the description so they know what they are renting and won't be disappointed or put off by something they are expecting but don;t get?
And if they do put a photo up, I want it to be of the ACTUAL person, not some farm animal or other such thing, since it would be exactly the same as not having a photo at all, with the exception that they actiually bother to take the time to put one up. In that case, what are they hiding?

Welcome0
Level 10
Hicksville, NY

@Trevor0 Thank you for opening this can of worms of #TestubeHosts for Airbnb. I thought there was a glitch in Airbnb system!  I failed to follow up on the problem, because I was too busy working. Now, I realize it was done to me deliberately. Yikes! Anytime anyone does anything  underhanded, I lose trust.  I've been a Superhost for a year. I worked hard to earn my badge.   I cannot say the same about Airbnb. I believe we deserve an apology. They achieved the opposite - DISTRUST! 

Deb-and-Marie0
Level 2
Ann Arbor, MI

We just recently noticed that some of the guests pictures are non-existent.  As new Superhosts we were enjoying having all different people from all over the world stay at our cave.  We live in a college town that is well known for its multi-cultural environment, very progressive.  We are in the process of determining if we should cancel guest reservations because we want to see who is staying in our home.  Airbnb has removed our rite to trust and develop relationships with others around the world.  We are offended and looking for competitors to do business with.  

 

We called Airbnb and Cory talked and talked a mile a minute (exhausting actually).  When he mentioned discrimination, it infuriated me.  I told him I never wanted to hear that word again in our phone conversation.  How divisive Airbnb is.

Todd108
Level 1
Bangkok, Thailand

A conversation in which you disallow ideas isn't much of one.

Rebecca181
Level 10
Florence, OR

I don't confirm any bookings if there is no profile photo. This protects the guest (e.g., identity theft) as well as the host. I state on my listing a profile photo and first and last name are required as well as their having been verified via submitting their Government-issued photo ID to Airbnb. I've had two people who instant booked who did not have profile photos. I asked them to submit them and they were happy to do so, so no issues thus far. 

I agree.  If the guest can see me then I shoud be able to see them.  

 

Elena1137
Level 2
Rialto, CA

I agree this is very disappointing.

But the way that is why I just change my profile picture because the new thing, I don’t feel comfortable anymore booking my place.

Claire475
Level 9
Luxembourg City, Luxembourg

I have instant booking so don’t even think of turning guests away. In fact I can only remember declining 2 people someone because they wanted to bring a small baby to our home, and we dont have facilities for that and another who wanted to stay three months but we already had booking in that time frame. 

However my recent interaction with a guest unnerved me somewhat and I think it’s due to the lack of photo. 

The guest sent me a message with her initial showing instead of the usual photo. Further, all information of where the guests came from was also deleted and lastly the guest had been a member since 2017 but had no reviews. 

Further they wanted a discount and wanted me to verify my home was in the same condition shown in the photos. 

Dont know why but but something about the situation unnerved me. 

Basically I had no information on them at all.  Felt like I was walking around with a blindfold on. 

Trust and discrimination, it’s  a two way street.