[Privacy issue] How to hide the detail of my reviews (from Host)

[Zheng-正-0]

I just checked all my reviews received from the Hosts, it really freak me out.

1. It has the location and time, could know when and where I went since I started using Airbnb.

2. It has the full content of the review, and it totally out of control. I do not want the host mention too much personal details of me but no ways to control.

3. It has the link to my hosts, and anyone could reach to my host and possible to get all my stay details.

Please advice how I could control my reviews details.

Thanks!

[Jeremy-and-Amanda0]

You guys are missing the issue.  Yes, a host should have access to see reviews of potential people staying at their house.  But once my stay is over, they don't need to see what I'm doing with my life, when and where I'm traveling. 

Visibility into my profile should be limited for the duration of the stay/transaction, not future stays at other places unrelated to them.

[Zheng-正-0]

Very glad to see someone else care about this privacy issue!

And surprisingly, after a year and half, Airbnb did nothing to improvement it. 

[Sarah977]

@Jeremy-and-Amanda0  Why in the world would you think that hosts would waste their time looking at the profiles of all the guests who have finished their stays to see what they're doing with their life? I'd rather watch paint dry.

[Jeremy-and-Amanda0]

For the most part they wouldn't.  But that's not the point, privacy is not about boredom or likelihood, it's about protecting people from the very unlikely.  I'm not worried about you, I'm worried about the people who bother to hack into things and use every angle they can to get it. 

[Igor397]

I agree, I see two issues

1) You profile is publicly visible, once someone have a link to you profile he can track all you travel experience forever. 

2) Your reviews are visible on a property page. Along with your profile picture.

If I want this data to be private, I need to stop writing reviews.

But I can do nothing with 1)

[Helen350]

@Igor397 If you don't like the profile / review system, don't join Airbnb! - Look at it from the host's point of view - we should be allowed to know something about the guests coming into our homes, & whether they have been good guests in the past! If you want anonymity, you should use hotels, as others have said. Many hosts who let spare rooms in their own houses only want guests who are open & transparent, & prepared to share a little of themselves. It's not always appropriate to go to someones private house determined to be secretive.... (Tho' some hosts are grateful for people who have no wish to talk!)

[Sarah977]

@Igor397  You not leaving a review for the host does not prevent the host from leaving a review of you. It doesn't sound as if Airbnb is the right venue for you if you want to be so secretive. How can you think a host would want to let you stay in their home if they have no idea whether you are a good, respectful guest or not? Would you open your door to some stranger you know absolutely nothing about?

[Helen350]

@Igor397 Now that you have posted in the Community Centre, anyone reading your post can click on your photo and get the link to YOUR PROFILE! - Oh, the irony! 

[Kevin1322]

good point!!!

[Wende2]

@Helen350   LOL good point...so I just did, looks like a nice kid.

[Sarah977]

@Igor397  You have nice reviews. Why wouldn't you want hosts to be able to see them? I can assure you that hosts have better things to do with their time than to track your travel history. When I look at guest reviews before accepting their reservations, I don't even pay any attention to where they stayed- I just want to read that they were good, respectful guests. And as far as your reviews showing on a host's profile page, I also often check what sort of reviews guests leave for the places they have stayed. It doesn't necessarily have to be a good review- there are places that don't deserve a good review because they aren't clean, or don't have working amenities, or the host was rude or unhelpful. I just want to make sure that the guest doesn't have a history of complaining about every place he has stayed, or obviously made up things, like claiming the place was filthy and ill-equipped , when the host has hundreds of reviews stating that it was immaculate, well-cared for and that the guests had everything they needed to be comfortable.

[Kevin1322]

@Zheng-正-0 

I would ask the host not to leave you a review, and explain why.

It's quite a reasonable ask.

If someone asked me I would be quite happy to do that.

[Helen350]

I disagree @Kevin1322 ! I view leaving reviews like doing the washing up & putting out the bins! - All part of the Airbnb thing, & mutual respect; if you don't want to co-operate, don't stay! I also consider it selfish & entitled not to reward your host with a good review, if the stay was as described.

@Zheng-正-0 appears not to understand the mutuality aspect of Airbnb.

[Kevin1322]

yea, I  get that, 100 percent, but I do understand some peoples' privacy concerns. 

If someone trashed our place they'd get a bad  review, to warn other hosts, whether they left us one or not.

We had guests last year who didn't leave a review who have booked again this year.

No review is better than a 4* review imho.

I do get your point. The mutuality is something we like about Airbnb. About people.

It is maybe an idea for guests to be able to review a place without revealing their ID publicly. Just marked as a verified review.

I bet these people so concerned about their privacy wouldn't hesitate to leave a *bad* review if they weren't happy though …....🤷

[Ange2]

@Kevin1322   I agree, I have had guests ask me not to review them for the sake of privacy. I have agreed not to, they were great guests so no impact on future hosts.