Profile Photo Censorship

[Trevor26]

Hi Team,

Censoring  guest profile photos and hiding them from hosts is an undeserved reprimand and a disservice to all on the Airbnb platform. While I understand that there have been instances of discrimination within the Airbnb platform, the assumption of discrimination should not be the default. Please reconsider a standard democratic “innocent until proven guilty” approach and treat individual claims of discrimination on a case by case basis. This move to censor profile photos caters to discrimination and I would argue fuels discrimination by bringing it front and center. Censoring photos creates a surprise REVEAL…what are the attributes of this stranger I just approved to stay in my house? Where race or gender or orientation were not an issue, this “wait for it” moment now places a primary focus on those attributes that were once insignificant and arbitrary.

To be fair to hosts in this censorship experiment, will Airbnb hide hosts' profile photos to preemptively eliminate discrimination against hosts as well? We are after all, the ones allowing strangers into our own homes, and in most cases we have a more thorough and proven track record with Airbnb than guests have. A one way window is creepy…we can’t see them, but they can see us. What if they are only wanting to stay with us because they think we are attractive and they have ulterior motives? What if they don’t want to stay with us because we are not straight, or not white? If you are going to assume discrimination as a default, then why not block profiles on both sides? To be clear, I wouldn't want that.  Transparancy on all sides is always the best approach. This is a really bad move by Airbnb and a movement away from the community aspect that was the initial attraction of Airbnb. Airbnb is (or was) a social platform, and that is what distinguishes it from a corporate hotel stay. 

A picture does speak a thousand words. Guests and hosts have both put thought into their profile picture with the intention of them being displayed. Playing a guitar, or being surrounded by a national forest, or riding a bicycle in the rain help to give a full picture and start conversations, etc. If anything, give guests and hosts a choice whether or not to have their photo displayed.

Other hosts, please weigh in on this...guests too...and I would especially like to hear from the Airbnb team who decided this would be a good idea.

Thanks for the opportunity to weigh in.

-Trevor 

[Helen3]

I feel you are over-reacting. @Trevor26

There is a very miniminal difference in what happened before and what happens now with guest profiles.

If you use IB there will be absolutely no difference. If you don't the only difference if you tick the box on your profile saying you require a guest photo is that you see it once a guest has booked.

This is a community forum you won't hear from Airbnb staff.

[Trevor26]

Thanks for your feedback Helen. Instant Book is the host's choice and so should profile photos. Also, Airbnb gives hosts a window of time to cancel instantly booked reservations without penalty. 

[Kath9]

@Trevor26, most other hosts on this forum agree with you and don't think you're 'overereacting'. There is a lengthy thread on this topic that you might be interested in here: https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Hosting/No-to-the-new-no-guest-photo-policy/m-p/920900

[Trevor26]

Thanks @Kath9. I will jump over there and chime in to what looks to be the main conversation in play here. 

[Susan-And-Ned0]

A  photo of the individual booking is a means of verification . It is a form of security .Airbnb are the merchants  in  the guest / host transaction .The middle man .  They hold the credit card information and all other personal information on the guest .Host  do not  have access to any of that information which traditionally  is useful for security & verification . Hotels , BNB , Lodges and many other businesses even doctors , dentist , some restaurants , hairdressers ......So at the very least the profile picture is all we have in order to verify the person staying is the person who made the booking .

     I owned and operated a lodge in New Zealand for 15 years . I was a credit card merchant with the BNZ and held the credit  cards for all my guest . It is a deposit of sorts, security and dare I say leverage  . I am happy to not have that responsibility anymore and find the community of trust that Airbnb relies on to be , for the most part , functional as long as guest , host and the middle guy Airbnb do their part to broker transparency . So I feel that although Airbnb has taken the position to prevent discrimination the least they could do for host is make it mandatory that all potential guest must set their default profile photo to be one that clearly shows their face so that host can match that photo with the person who is staying on their property . But Airbnb has dropped the ball there .

     What I do is after the booking is made and the default picture is something other than a person , either a dog or flower or maybe there is no picture at all , I call Airbnb and have them contact the guest requesting they post a picture . I put it back onto Airbnb . I have found that on the mobile app you can still see the profile photo . So yesterday someone wanted to book and they had no reviews and the profile photo on the mobile site  was of 3 kids . This time I declined the booking and explained my position ( which is also a guest requirement I have outlined on my listing ) to the potential  guest and if she were to post a picture that I can use to verify her then we could go ahead and proceed with the booking .The guest complied and has updated the photo and made another booking request . 

      If Airbnb cannot properly provide a service that protects the host from 3rd party bookings then as host we have to fill that gap and look after ourselves . In my experience it is worth the effort  . As an Airbnb host I did ignore my instincts once and took a booking from someone who had a poor profile photo and no reviews . That turned out to be a 3rd party booking and the people who showed up had no Airbnb account . In that case I contacted Airbnb and let them know what had happened and over the next couple of days we got the people staying to sign up and submit their credit card details to Airbnb . This was important to do because by law if something were to happen there would be no recourse because legally the person who booked is not the person who is staying and doing the damage . 

      As host we do have a standard of  transparency to uphold and it is so that guest can determine a good match when they decide to invest their hard earned money in a vacation experience . As host we too have a financial investment to protect . The other thing I don't rely on Airbnb for is liability & damage insurance . We have commercial policies with umbrellas on our Airbnb rental . I have read that people have had little joy trying to make a claim with Airbnb insurance . It is mostly talk with no substance to back the assurances that in the event of something happening Airbnb will pay out . I don't rely on that because it sounds like based on actual host experiences that Airbnb are not inclined to compensate host for loss income or damages . So please host  I encourage you to have your own back . It is a business after all and enjoy your guest too but be smart about it . Airbnb favors the guest over the host . Guest make Airbnb a lot of money and that is their main concern . Fair enough . Airbnb does provide an amazing service and intelligent software that has revolutionized the whole vacation rental process . Everything Airbnb software provides I use to do myself . And I am happy to turn over the management of the-calendar , communications and credit card info to the software mangement . It is brillant  . However as far as security ,house rules  , insurance that is still my responsibility . In return I make a pledge to my potential guest that as a host I will hold up my end of the deal and provide a safe , clean hosted experience . That they will be looked after and will depart with good memories . I love that part of it . It is a balance .