Innclusive's Anti-Discrimination Practices - Sound Familiar?

[Rebecca181]

Anyone who is aware of the home-share platform 'Innclusive', and how it came to be (it started out as a direct reaction to Airbnb's perceived discriminatory policies and practices) will recognize the new (and controversial) 'anti-discriminatory' practices and policies of Airbnb's as being eerily similar to Innclusive's own policies designed to prevent discrimination. Not sure if Airbnb  copied it exactly, but it almost seems like they did. Any of this sound familiar? From the Innclusive website at https://www.innclusive.com/why-innclusive:

Discrimination happens on Airbnb and other platforms primarily through folks seeing the names and photos of guests before accepting the booking. On our platform we remove this opportunity for discrimination by introducing the photo only after the booking is confirmed.

Discrimination happens far more likely on properties that require the host to approve properties first vs instant book properties that a guest can book and be instantly approved. 99.9% of our properties are instant book, and this is by design, so there is no opportunity for discrimination in the first place.

We use technology to prevent a host from denying a booking to one guest and then making those same dates available to another guest.

[Rebecca181]

@Sarah977  Yes, that's what I was wondering. Excellent, glad to here that I have not gone the way of The Disappeared! On a related (albeit somewhat whimsical note), I have been thinking of possibly penning a movie script by the same name - It will  be only loosely based on events here at Airbnb and the CC. Zac Efron as Brian Chesky (fresh off his Ted Bundy role); Sam Elliott as David in Colorado? The possibilities are endless!

[Susan17]

@Rebecca181 

Regarding Airbnb's "anti-discriminatory" policies, I posted the following recently on a thread about the profile pic removal... 

Whether or not a guest has a profile pic doesn't bother me personally, as many of the guests who turn up at my door are barely recognisable from their Insta'd profile pics anyway. However, it's not just the profile pic, but the guest's location and reviews that are also being hidden in many of the inquiries that I, and many other hosts I've spoken with, are receiving. (No, that's not just a sensationalist rumour - it is happening, on a widespead scale) 

I don't rely on reviews myself (although, I do fully understand their importance - and the importance of visible profile pics - for many hosts)  - but for me, the Airbnb review system has become so contrived and corrupt, that it's practically worthless now anyway. However, the guest location is a huge issue too, and a potential cause of massive problems for many hosts who don't take local bookings, in order to minimise the chance of house parties, anti-social behaviour and neighbour disturbance. This is an extremely serious issue, particularly for hosts in cities with ongoimg regulatory battles, as just a single incidence of disturbance can lead to disastrous consequences for the host, such as ruinous fines, being shut down, and losing their livelihood. 

If I thought for one second that this policy truly is about discrimination - or that it would help alleviate/eliminate discrimination on the platform, in any way  -  I would support it 100%. However, it's not, and it won't. It's all about making it as quick and as easy as possible for guests to complete a booking, thereby ramping up the number of bookings to pad out the bottom line ahead of an IPO.  Nothing more. Nothing less. 

This exact policy was first mooted in 2016, on foot of several high-profile claims of discrimination against the company (and in line with a report from a panel of experts - experts who had been paid by Airbnb to take part in the exercise, and provide recommendations) So if fighting discrimination of the platform really was Airbnb's main priority behind this move, and the true reason for the removal of profile pics, why didn't they introduce it then - three years ago? Could it possibly be that they've been too busy trying to get everyone signed up to IB - conveniently, the other main "anti-discrimination" recommendation set forth the panel of paid experts? (IB had been first introduced in 2014, but wasn't gaining any traction at all, as hosts were hugely reluctant to sign up for it)

And I'd be willing to bet my firstborn, that any host who does try to have a booking cancelled after seeing the guest's profile pic - for whatever reason - won't find it all that simple. For example, what if the person carrying that gun just happens to be black, or Asian, or whatever? I'm pretty sure it's the host who'll then find themselves in hot water with Airbnb for even trying to have the booking cancelled. 

Let's call this what it is - another "smoke and mirrors" exercise on Airbnb's part, with one endgame. The same as all those convenient long-term "glitches" that never seem to get fixed, that are causing hosts to receive IBs that are in breach of the requirements they've set, or receive bookings at prices much lower than they've set in their calendars, or unblocking dates that hosts know were set as unavailable , or the plethora of alterations/miscalculation "glitches" that always leave the host - rather than Airbnb - out of pocket, or missing/delayed payments that the host has to chase up (that's if they catch them) etc etc. All these glitches - and many more - coincidentally, have the same end result. I don't think I need to spell out what that is. 

And before you all dismiss what I have to say out of hand - ask yourselves why, then, why is it that most of these glitches have been around for years, and never, ever get fixed? This is a $38 billion tech  company we're talking about here, not some scrappy, clueless little start-up. We'd all do well to keep that to the forefronts of our minds when dealing with Airbnb. 

[Rebecca181]

@Susan17Thank you for yet another enlightening comment - These are interesting things to know. Makes one wonder if one or more people involved with starting up Innclusive were privy to the findings and recommendations of this 'panel of experts' Airbnb hired - the languaging is so strangely similar. 

In regard to these 'glitches' (and of course, you and I have had more than our fair share of those, haven't we): I have long been amazed by the fact that at least 80% of the time I have a seemingly unsolveable issue or problem, the Airbnb support team over on Twitter are able to quickly and efficiently fix and correct things that 'regular' Airbnb customer support states is 'beyond their control' ("There's nothing I can do - it's the system" and that sort of thing). As for me, I stopped falling for 'The Three Stooges' act put on by Airbnb long ago - The people at the top are 'cunning, baffling, and powerful' - just like an addiction or a disease. 

At this point the best thing a host can do is make sure they have more than one income stream coming in beyond Airbnb if they are a traditional / shared home host. Because they're going to need it.

[Tania336]

This new policy makes me very insecure. I am not racist at all. I’ve had black, Japanese, Korean, French, Italian, gay guests, and it’s always been really good. Wonderful persons! But I think I have the right to decide who I let into my house!

I don’t mind the nationality, gender or race, but I don’t like to accept groups of  very young people. I have friends who are also on Airbnb that had being problems with alcohol and drug abuse, with guests vomiting in the swimming pool and on the beds, loud music during the night, police being called, high fines from the condominium administration, etc. I don’t want that in my house! 

I like to host families, with children, or even if it’s a group of friends, I prefer older people, not to close to being teens, right?

I go to my country house a lot with my family. I love that house which I carefully decorated with art items I brought from many countries. It is not simply a rental house. It’s HOME!

I provide my guests a lot of amenities and a full time maid, the option for a high level chef to prepare refined meals, or a barbecue specialist, masseuse for a relaxing time in the gazebo on the garden by the lake, special discount for balloon flight or parachute dives, it’s like a 5 star hotel just for your family, but I need to feel safe!

Hosts must be able to access more information, like age, job and a photo at least. Right now I am exchanging messages with a woman (I assume it’s a woman). She put 1 guest. She has no reviews, no photo and on the details only e-mail has been verified. She is very laconic when I ask questions and I could only find out it would be a group of 14 friends. I don’t feel comfortable at all! I think it’s very cruel and unfair with the hosts.

Please change this policy and start providing more info, for the sake of our safety and peace of mind.

[Rebecca181]

@Tania336 Your country house offering sounds absolutely amazing! I fail to understand why Airbnb Corporate believes that we hosts should play 'Russian Roulette' (no cultural / ethnic sterotyping intended here - this is a valid, non-discriminatory, non-racist term - it's merely an at-times lethal game that you play with a partially loaded gun) with our properties. 

SO: Here's what I MUST know and have confirmation of as a host / property owner who rents out / shares my home - A home which is also my primary personal residence. As in, it's where I actually live:

1) Confirmation that a valid Government-issued photo ID is on file, and that the ID has been checked to make sure the guest is not a felon (past or present). The credit card they used to book the reservation must match the ID.

2) I must see the reviews that hosts have written about the guests.

3) I must be able to be able to confirm certain facts with the guest before they Instant Book, e.g., did they REALLY read (and accept) my House Rules? Because most prospective guests do not read our listings beyond a couple of sentences.  I know this to be a fact, after 130 guests. Just trust me on this one. I used to do this questioning via the questions / customized questions you were allowed to ask a guest as part of the Instant Booking process. It appears that these were quietly removed recently and we hosts were not even notified.

4) I must know how many guests are REALLY coming. 

5) I must be able to hold an actual security deposit, not a phantom one that is just for looks.

If the above ever happens, let me know, and I will consider relisting my home again with Airbnb.

[Alon1]

@Rebecca181 

Rebecca,

Out of curiousity, why did you stop hosting?

You hosted quite a number, and presumably they all met your requirements still displayed on your profile.

[Rebecca181]

@Alon1 I am taking a break from hosting for multiple reasons. I've been expressing concerns about the increasingly 'guestcentric' nature of the platform for well over a year, way before all of this became such a 'hot topic'. You might want to read my post 'Are Traditional Hosts Still Valued By Airbnb'?, which might be viewed as being somewhat prescient, given all that has occurred since then. My determination regarding the question I asked: They are not (valued by Airbnb). Not anymore. Still, I remain open to hosting again if our concerns are heard and the platform is redesigned to recognize that many of us are hosting people in our personal homes. Where we live full time. I enjoyed nearly all our guests very much and was literally booked solid for the entire time I was renting out a cottage attached to my home. But I don't like the direction Airbnb is headed in, so I decided to get off the train.

[Andy184]

It's not surprising that the policies would be so similar.  The lawyers are kind of taking over because things have been being handled so incorrectly for so long that in order to stay in business they have to start doing things correctly now.   Not just Airbnb (and Innclusive), but also Homeaway, VRBO, etc are all starting to have to correct as well.  They will all be using a policy similar to this very soon.

[Rebecca181]

@Andy184 You might be right. And I can tell you right now, VRBO / Homeaway homeowners will flip their lids. Should be quite something to watch.

[Susan17]

@Rebecca181 

 Before Innclusive and the Airbnb report ever came into the picture, discrimination was already an issue that cropped up periodically. (For example, Misterbnb was set up in 2014 as a gay-friendly alternative to Airbnb, after its founder, Matthieu Jost, had several uncomfortable experiences on the platform)

I posted the following on another thread earlier, and I'll just copy and paste it here, as is... 

[Susan17]

One of the catalysts for the whole "Community Commitment Charter" and "Non-Discrimination Policy"  was a 2015 study by associate Harvard professor Ben Edelman, as part of which researchers set up 20 test accounts, and sent inquiries to 6400 hosts in 5 cities (Baltimore, St Louis, Dallas, LA and Washington DC). All test profiles were identical, except for the names. 

The study found that when profiles had white-sounding names like Todd and Allison, there was a 50% success rate for a positive response - ie they were offered the room. However, with the black-sounding names - such as Darnell and Tamika - that figure dropped to 42%, so a 16% differential overall. 

Edelman and his co-authors concluded that in order to combat racism on the site, Airbnb should adopt a booking system similar to hotels, without the guest's name being revealed to the host beforehand, and suggested that IB should be standard practice on the site (music to Airbnb's ears, as at that point, hosts were still fiercely resisting all attempts to persuade them to sign up to the instant book feature, with take-up rates hovering around the 1 in 12 mark following its introduction in 2014)

It's interesting to note though, that Prof Edelman and his team did not use actual profile pics of the inquiring "guests", and opted to use pics of sea-turtles instead. 

[Susan17]

So if this policy really was about discrimination, surely Airbnb would have introduced it back in late 2015/early 2016, when it was first mooted and Airbnb was coming under fire as a result of a barrage of high-profile allegations regarding discrimination on the platform? It seems a little tardy, 3 years after the fact. Some might even say it looks suspiciously like it has a lot more to do with making it as quick and easy as possible for guests to complete bookings, thereby ramping up the numbers with an inevitable IPO on the horizon. 

Re. the Harvard study I mentioned above, the following conclusions from the report are worth noting... 

"Our  results  are remarkably  persistent.  Both  African-American and White hosts  discriminate  against  African-American  guests; both  male  and  female  hosts discriminate; both  male  and  female  African-American  guests  are  discriminated  against. Effects  persist  both for  hosts  that  offer  an entire  property  and for  hosts  who share  the property  with  guests. Discrimination persists  among  experienced hosts, including  those with  multiple  properties  and  those  with  many  reviews.  Discrimination  persists  and  is  of similar  magnitude  in  high and low  priced  units, in diverse  and  homogeneous neighborhoods" 

"Because hosts’  profile pages  contain  reviews  (and  pictures)  from  recent  guests,  we can cross-validate  our  experimental  findings  using  observational  data  on whether  the  host  has recently  had  an  African-American  guest.  We  find  that discrimination  is  concentrated among  hosts  with no African-American  guests  in  their  review history. When  we restrict our  analysis  to hosts  who have  had an  African-American  guest  in  the recent  past, discrimination  disappears  –  reinforcing  the  external  validity  of  our  main results, and suggesting  that  discrimination is  concentrated among  a  subset  of  hosts"

"That  said,  we note  that discrimination  disappears  among  hosts  who have previously  accepted  African-American  guests.  One  might  worry  that discrimination against  our  test  guest  accounts  results  from  our  choice  of  names  and  hence  does  not represent  patterns  that  affect  genuine Airbnb  guests. However,  we find  that discrimination  is  limited  to  hosts  who  have  never  had  an  African-American  guest, which suggests  that  our  results  are  consistent  with  any  broader  underlying  patterns  of discrimination"

So in other words, it's very easy to pinpoint the tiny subset of hosts who do engage in bigoted and prejudiced behaviour, and rather than tar all hosts with the same dirty brush, the solution to the issue is really very simple, and has been suggested numerous times, by numerous hosts - simply track the host's pattern of declines/rejections, investigate those with discrimination complaints against them, deal with them accordingly, and leave the rest of us to get on with hosting and welcoming all  our guests in our usual friendly, inclusive, tolerant, unbiased manner. 

[Susan17]

Airbnb subsequently banned Prof. Edelman - a prominent and respected figure regularly cited in the Airbnb discrimination debate - and his wife, who had no role whatsoever in the study, from the platform, fuelling accusations that the company's policies stifle critical research. 

Edelman said at the time that he was ignored  by Airbnb's customer service department when he tried to point out that academics and regular users were only able to research and expose discrimination on the site by creating fake accounts to test how hosts responded to users of different races, and that housing rights organisations and government agencies had long since used "testers" as a tried-and-trusted means of uncovering racial biases amongst landlords. He argued that given the long history of housing discrimination and testers, Airbnb should embrace  academics and research projects. Critics also pointed out that Airbnb refusing to publicly share data with independent researchers, allowied the corporation to avoid the kind of scrutiny that more traditionally regulated industries face.

Questions were also raised about Airbnb's priorities in banning Prof Edelman for conducting an inocuous study involving fake accounts - and his wife for doing precisely nothing,  when other studies were circulating, showing how Airbnb has consistently failed to restrict users who violate local housing laws and run illegal, unregulated "hotels"

"They’re super diligent about banning me for my terrible test accounts. Meanwhile, the guy running an illegal hotel without the right smoke detector or fire escape, they are looking the other way,” said Edelman. “That’s pretty ironic.”

The Edelmans' accounts were eventually reinstated following a journalist from a British newspaper contacting Airbnb for clarification on the matter. 

[Susan17]

@Rebecca181 I'll get round to the part where Innclusive fits into the whole story, and the language origins, tomorrow. It's late here now 🙂

[Rebecca181]

@Susan17 Oh, I cannot wait! Due to the time difference between us, I can only hope you have posted the next part in time for me to enjoy with my morning coffee - This is truly scintillating and compelling reading!