Airbnb publishes first transparency report

In an attempt to show willing to operating in a more transparent fashion, Airbnb released details for the first time last week on how it responds to international law enforcement requests for user information. The report, published on 1 September, contains details on how the company handles requests from legal authorities across the 191 countries in which it operates. The report acknowledges that the platform has received 188 requests for user data internationally during the first six months of this year, and provided data on how it responded to 82 of those requests, which equated to handing over information on a total of 172 user accounts. However, the report has garnered criticism, given the 172 user accounts affected represent a tiny percentage of the company’s user base of millions of accounts.  

Law enforcement in France made the most requests for Airbnb user information so far in 2016.

Law enforcement in France made the most requests for Airbnb user information so far in 2016. Credit: anne-christine poujoulat/AFP/Getty Images

Airbnb received 188 requests for user information from law enforcement so far in 2016, the company said in its first transparency report(opens in a new tab).

Airbnb released the transparency report Friday and said it intends to update it annually. Other companies, like Google and Facebook, release similar reports about requests for user information from law enforcement.

In 82 of those Airbnb requests, some user data was disclosed. That gave Airbnb a compliance rate of 43.6 percent. The total requests affected 172 Airbnb user accounts.

The most requests came from France, where 42 inquiries from law enforcement led Airbnb to disclose user information in 22 cases. That involved 25 accounts.

Following France were the United States, with 31 requests made and 21 fulfilled, Germany with 25 made and 7 fulfilled, and the United Kingdom with 23 made and 10 fulfilled.

Outside of Europe and North America, Airbnb received requests from law enforcement in India, Japan, New Zealand, Australia, Singapore and Taiwan.

Law enforcement agencies in only 21 countries made any sort of request. Airbnb operates in 191 countries.

Only five total requests were categorized as emergencies, and Airbnb says it responded to them all. Two of those were in the U.S. and three were said to be in the “rest of world.”

The company didn't specify what those emergencies were, or what would qualify as an emergency.

Airbnb says it notifies users when it receives requests for their information unless it is legally barred from doing so or doing so would cause someone harm.

The company also says it discloses user information when it is required to do so by law or when it has a “good faith reason” to believe doing so would protect the safety of the company, its users or the public.

“While negative incidents are rare, Airbnb works with law enforcement to protect the rights of our hosts, our guests and the community at large,” the company wrote in its report.