Airbnb Launches New Law Enforcement Portal

Airbnb’s mission is to create a world where anyone can belong anywhere. To achieve this, the platform aims to build trust between people and protect their safety and privacy both online and offline, on every part of every trip. 

Airbnb also supports the vital work of law enforcement to help keep its community safe. They have a dedicated team who respond to requests for information from law enforcement authorities around the world.

They have now unveiled the launch of a new online portal for law enforcement. It will provide a secure and streamlined channel for law enforcement to submit valid legal requests for information from Airbnb. Through the portal, law enforcement officers will be able to securely track requests, and receive status updates and customized email notifications.

Elaine Punch, Law Enforcement Operations Manager at Airbnb, said: “The safety and privacy of our community is our priority. Today’s announcement complements the work we do day in day out to keep our hosts, our guests and communities safe. We will continue to do what we can to assist law enforcement and their investigations.”

All requests for user information will continue to be handled and evaluated in line with Airbnb’s existing Terms of Service, Privacy Policy and Law Enforcement Guidelines. To protect the privacy of our users, Airbnb will only disclose user information when they receive a valid legal request or in emergency situations.

Since 2016, Airbnb has published a Law Enforcement Transparency Report to provide insights into the frequency of requests for user information, where they come from, and how they respond to them. Between 1 January to 31 December 2018, Airbnb received more than 3,071 inquiries from law enforcement in 47 countries, of which 811 requests involved the release of at least some account information.

To create an account and submit a request, please visit www.airbnb.com/lert