Horrible And Dangerous New Profile Pic Policy

[Daniel2195]

AirBnB’s new “no pic needed” policy is HORRIBLE and dangerous to hosts and guests. It leave hosts with no way of knowing that the person checking in is the person who actually booked the reservation, without rudely asking to see a picture ID. I was told the policy change was to “combat racism” by an AirBnB rep. I can’t think of anything more dangerous to both hosts and guests than AirBnB sending people of color to stay at some racist host’s house (who would have previously just looked at their profile pic and declined their reservation). Instead AirBnb is endangering people of color by sending them to confront such racists IN PERSON and in ignorance.

Also, as a member of the LGBTQ+ community it’s not safe for me and my husband to book places to stay for ourselves without making it clear we’re a gay couple. It could get us beaten and killed, especially overseas. AirBnB’s new “no pic policy” endangers LGBTQ+ people who don’t bother posting a pic of themselves for bigoted hosts to see them as a couple (and decline the booking). Instead, we can now show up as a gay couple unexpectedly to a bigot’s house and be confronted with their hate.

It’s clear that whoever formulated this new “no pic required” policy has zero understanding of the safety and liability issues involved for both guests and hosts. Please require pics so everyone can get back the small measure of protection they provide for all involved!

[Linda108]

@Daniel2195  It might be that you are operating on some old information.  Please see the post about the January update regarding profile pics.  Made me feel better and it may also make you feel safer as well.  Hope so 😄

[Sarah977]

@Linda108 I think you misread Daniels post- he HATES the new policy, he WANTS hosts to see his profile photo with his husband, which is proof that even guests who may be discriminated against because of their race, sexual orientation, etc, woud prefer being discriminated against BEFORE their booking is accepted, rather than show up somewhere, only to be met with bigoted vibes. 

[Daniel2195]

Exactly! I’d rather get declined for a reservation than beaten or killed! Most people would. But apparently AirBnB would rather endanger people’s lives...

[Sarah977]

@Daniel2195 They keep claiming this is to cut down on discrimination, but what you're saying here is what I've been saying about this issue all along. I'm not personally in a demographic that would normally face discrimination, unless someone has something against middle/older-age Caucasion women (not evident from my photo that I'm Jewish), but I certainly have plenty of friends of color and various sexual persuasions, and there's no way they'd want to unknowingly book with a predjudiced host only to face discrimination on their arrrival.

All this is about, is Airbnb wanting it to be virtually effortless for guests to book- no profile photo, no verifications, instant book, done. Fast money in the Airbnb coffers.

Cloaking it as being about anti-discrimination is vile.

[Anne1036]

@Sarah977 I totally agree with the last three lines of your post

[Lorna73]

Agreed, I can't believe that from a safeguarding stance that Airbnb can't see that it actually discriminates against the host. If like me you have a shared space and are particularly sensitive to ensuring my own safety in my own home as I host, it would be really helpful when prospective guests pictures are available, as ours are to them prior to booking particularly when the guest has a gender neutral name. By being able to see the prospective guests picture, and not that of a pot plant or travel destination as I have had, it prevents ANY awkwardness and potential difficult questions without an Airbnb support member flagging you for discrimination - the fact that its a safety issue seems to completely bypass them!

[Emilia42]

Hi  @Daniel, you as the host will see the profile picture after you have confirmed the guest. The profile picture will only be blocked when the guest sends an inquiry/requests to book. So you will still see who will be showing up at your place, only after the booking is confirmed. If you are not pleased with their profile picture and feel uncomfortable you can call Airbnb to cancel, just as you have always been able to do. 

As a guest how would a host know that you are traveling with your husband by looking at your current profile picture? Unless you specifically told them in the initial message. Just curious. In my opinion, commication exchanged between host and guest is far more important than a photo.

[Daniel2195]

The problem still stands. POC (people of color) and racist hosts are still placed into uncomfortable  and dangerous situations because pics are now disallowed until confirmation, and not a requirement at all. For racist hosts they are being tricked into accepting guests they don’t want, and may react to upon arrival. Their only other option is cancelling the reservation and loosing their AirBnB rankings. On the flip side, guests of color are having a protection (racist hosts not accepting them as guests based on their profile pics) removed, and are then being thrown into a volatile situation, in person, on arrival. 

To answer your LGBTQ+ question, many of us purposefully put “couples” pics into our guest profiles to weed out homophobic hosts from accepting us. As a host myself I state that my husband and I are a couple - knowing that LGBTQ+ guests will note that and realize they are welcome and among friends. It’s sort of an unspoken language LGBTQ+ folks have for our own safety. Such couple’s pics also make it clear to bigotted hosts what they’re dealing with so they can decline to host us, and we as gay guests don’t wind up in dangerous situations because they “didn’t know” we were gay.

This is a serious safety issue for hosts and guests. As to “seeing pics after confirmation” my understanding is that AirBnB is now no longer requiring profile pics at all. Basically, as a host, that leaves me with no means of identifying people when they show up on my property. Is it even the person who booked? The only way for me to know is by demanding to see an ID if they don’t choose to upload a profile pic.

[Daniel2195]

My understanding is that profile pics are not required at all. People may choose to have an accurate profile pic or not.  Without one I have no way of knowing if the person showing up to my home is the person I booked, or not. Unless I demand to see an ID (and it’s not just a fake).

For POC (people of color) their profile pic can save them from being booked by racist hosts. The racist simply declines their request and both folks move on. Now, with no pic required, if they don’t choose to have a profile pic of themselves, they may show up to stay in that racists house instead. Horrible and unsafe for AirBnB to do to anyone, let alone guests of color!

So far as LGBTQ+ folks go, we often put “couple pics” into our guest profiles for safety reasons. Doing so keeps homophobes from accidentally encountering us without realizing we’re a couple. As a host I mention my husband in my host profile very purposefully to let other LGBTQ+ people know they are welcome and safe. It’s one of the safety measures many LGBTQ+ people take, along with other “leaving clues” such as wearing rainbow pins or pink triangles in profile pics - to ward off bigots and let other LGBTQ+ people know we’re safe.

[Cindy249]

I think you missed everything that Daniel said and I fully agree with him. You don't want to see the picture AFTER you have to accept a reservation - You want to see the photo BEFORE you decide if you will accept or not . As your eyes is the last one of your senses that nature gave you to and connected to your 'gut' feel. Even if I don't have a color , religion or gay or straight issue , I will NOT allow somone in my house that still has that 'morning-fresh off the herion needle look ' into my house!

AND if you then dare and cancel the reservation AFTER it was accepted , YOU - the HOST gets PUNISHED by loosing your SuperHost status and by being unable to make super host status BECAUSE of your 'cancelation' ?? So the HOSTS, who are the very reason WHY Airbnb EXIST , are NOT protected - ONLY the guest are! In that case turn it all around and tell me how many guest do you think would book with you if they could not see who YOU are and what YOUR house look like?

[Cherie-and-Bill0]

I just received an instant booking with a profile picture of, I believe, a barracuda - the fish. How can this be?

[Stephan-And-Tia0]

I use photos as a tool for screening my guests. Our experience is that many of the younger guests, especially ones without reviews, tend to try to use our place to drink and party with their friends. Removing the photo before booking, will mean a lot of extra work in the screening process for ALL guests, rather than just the younger ones. I tend to use different lines of questioning, and am far more thorough in screening the younger ones as to their intentions for our place. In fact, we tended to automatically deny guests with new profiles, no photo and no reviews. Now that there will be no photo available, I will be far less likely to take a chance on new members who have no reviews. I find this to be unfortunate for newbies, as it will be more difficult for them to become established in the community. I think this new policy is a terrible idea.

[Daniel2195]

I’m right there with you on it. I’ve avoided several “party kids” because of their profile pics. One even had a huge bottle of jack and wore a bikini in her profile pic, while explaining in her inquiry that she wanted to rent from us because it was her 21st birthday weekend (the drinking age in U.S.). Needless to say I saw that and declined the Inquiry.

I do often accept “new to AirBnB” guests, if their reason for staying seems resonable and their profile pic seems like a decent person. Now, well, doubtful I’ll continue doing so if I can’t even see what they look like or know whether the person that shows up is even the person I booked. Again, AirBnB seems to be saying in their new policy that profile pics aren’t required.

[Rebecca0]

@Daniel2195

I am really struggling with your argument that this no-photo policy is potentially dangerous.  I can understand the logic but I can't fully rationalise it.  Efforts to combat discrimination have been on-going in all spheres of life for many years, at least in western democratic countries, so it's not like Airbnb is exactly breaking the mold.  For example,  it has been standard practice for a long time that job applications should not include a photograph.   Of course, it is a different scenario when you are inviting or being invited into someone's home as a paying guest and I get that.  Equating POC and LBGTQ people in this regard is not helpful.  I can't tell from a photo whether you're gay or not.  Whereas if you're black, it's pretty bloody obvious.  

You say:

"One even had a huge bottle of jack and wore a bikini in her profile pic, while explaining in her inquiry that she wanted to rent from us because it was her 21st birthday weekend (the drinking age in U.S.). Needless to say I saw that and declined the Inquiry."

What difference did the photo make in this instance?  Would you have considered accepting the booking if her photo showed her cute High School photo, all fresh-faced and buttoned up to the neck?  I'm guessing no.  You declined her because she wanted to have a party and no photo was necessary for you to make that decision.  Most hosts would have done exactly the same!

I like to see a photo when a guest makes a booking or sends an enquiry, it's true.  There is something reassuring about it - they have made an effort to create a profile and that gives the impression that they do not treat the platform as some anonymous hotel-like system.  However, I place far more emphasis on what they say in their message and what is written in their profile.  However, far more guests have no information in their profile than guests without a photo, in my experience.   It's much easier to click 'upload' than to take time to write a few sentences, after all.