Human beings might have all the cognitive capabilities at their disposal, but that hasn’t been able to keep them from making a mistake. In fact, the stated dynamic has already popped up on the surface quite a few times throughout our history, with each appearance practically forcing us to look for a defensive cover. We will, however, solve our conundrum in the most fitting manner possible, and we’ll do so by bringing dedicated regulatory bodies into the fold. Having a well-defined authority across each and every area was a game-changer, as it instantly gave us a safety cushion against our many shortcomings. Now, the kind of utopia you would expect from such a significant development did arrive, but it notably failed to stick around for long. Talk about what caused its untimely death, the answer has to keep technology at the heart of everything. You see, the moment technology got its layered nature to take over the scene, it allowed people an unprecedented chance to exploit others for their own benefit. In case this didn’t sound bad enough, the whole runner soon began to materialize on such a massive scale that it expectantly overwhelmed our governing forces and sent them back to square one. After a lengthy spell in the wilderness, though, it seems like the regulatory contingent is finally ready for a comeback. The same trend has turned more and more evident over the recent past, and truth be told, Airbnb’s latest decision will only give it further momentum to become bigger and better moving forward.
Airbnb is officially set to roll out a new policy framework, which is designed to crack down on parties booked through its service. As a part of its reinvented framework, the company, from now onwards, will make it mandatory for all users to verify their identity, if they happen to initiate a booking in any of the platform’s top 35 countries and regions. The users can fulfill this obligation by providing their personal details, such as legal name, address, phone number, and other contact information. Apart from it, the platform, in some cases, might even ask you to present a government ID and/or a selfie. To complement the stated protocol, Airbnb is also finally unveiling its anti-party screening technology in the US. The technology, which considers the guest’s record in terms of overall behavior during previous stays, was initially made available in Australia, where it triggered a sizeable 35% drop in unauthorized parties.
The announcement from Airbnb very much aligns with the platform’s recent efforts to protect and incentivize hosts. For instance, the company’s free damage protection program for hosts, Air Cover is slated to increase its limit for damage claims from $1 million to $3 million. Beyond that, Airbnb is also working to release a new optional onboarding service called Airbnb Setup. Here, the platform will match homeowners interested in hosting on Airbnb with a superhost, basically experienced hosts with top-ranking guest reviews, who will then guide them on how to get started.
As promising as the idea of a bigger host collection sounds, though, it will likely bolster the accusations against Airbnb, with the company, alongside other short-stay rental platforms, already blamed by many for causing a property shortage across the country. Hence, the way Airbnb navigates through all that will be something to keep an eye on.