Guest Identity verification

[Ann487]

I am a host who is so upset! I just found out that Airbnb did away with the green checkmark on guest photos to indicate their identity is verified. Then to make things worse guest are able to “verify” their identity with Facebook instead of a government ID and there is no way for a host to know that unless they ask directly “Did you verify with a gov’t ID”.  WTF!
Everyone knows how easy it is to set up a fake FB acct! 

Anyone have a way to deal with this awful change?

thanks, Ann

[Emilia42]

@Debra300 You're right . . . it does say OR. 

That means that as long as a guest is logged into a Facebook or Google account their identity can be easily "Verified"

I also noticed that "confirmed Government ID" is no longer visible on our profiles. My sister and I both have the same confirmed/verified info yet only one of us (me) has uploaded an ID. 

Wow, Airbnb is fooling A LOT of hosts with that new move.

[Ian-And-Anne-Marie0]

@Emilia42 

The problem with this verification is  when something goes wrong. 

Should something go wrong, will the blame for inadequate guest Verification then be made the responsibility of Facebook or Google?

We often hear on this CC that AirBnb decline requests for the address details of guests, I always thought that was a privacy issue, but the reality from this verification process is that no address details are likely ever to be held.

How anonymous do AirBnb need guests to be when they unilaterally deter ID checks of guests by Hosts?

@Debra300 

[Ian-And-Anne-Marie0]

@Debra300 

It's my understanding that the government ID requirement for booking is only available for Instant Book.

The biggest concern here is that, from reports of how many in home hosts operate, IB would not be their chosen method of booking, so they would not necessarily be accepting guests who are government verified, only.. FB or Google or ‘third party’ verified. That’s a massive difference.

[Ian-And-Anne-Marie0]

@Emilia42 

How can that ever be "verified" ?

Home Hosts will be hosting completely unverified guests whilst being conned that the guest has been through some verification procedure, and allowing them into their own homes! 

That's more than just dangerous.

[Mick-And-Kellie0]

Agreed... did you ever get an answer from Airbnb? I have guests called "john" .......... if theyve got nothing to hide then they can provide their bloody details! privacy my ***... they are staying in my home!

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