Airbnb Says New Technology Is Lights Out for Parties
(CNN) -- Weeks after Airbnb said it would permanently ban parties at properties rented through its platform, the company is deploying so-called “anti-party technology” in the United States and Canada to help enforce the measure.The new system analyzes a variety of factors, according to a company announcement Tuesday, including previous reviews, how long a user has been on the platform, the length of the stay, and whether the rental is occurring on a weekend or weekday.The goal, Airbnb said, is to “help identify potentially high-risk reservations” and prevent those users from completing a booking.
Those who are unable to book homes as a result of the anti-party tech will have the option to reserve a hotel room or a private room (rather than an entire property where a host is less likely to be present) through the platform, Airbnb said.Airbnb made its ban on all parties and events permanent in June, about two years after announcing a temporary prohibition.
Initially, the company said the ban was to mitigate the spread of Covid-19 through social distancing efforts, as well as a response to pandemic bar and club closures pushing many Airbnb users to party in rented homes.
But eventually, the company said, the move “developed into a bedrock community policy.”Over the years, Airbnb has had to confront headlines about violent incidents taking place during parties at rental properties.
