Airbnb to ban people linked with prohibited guests

San Francisco: As a safety precaution, online hospitality major Airbnb is banning people who are linked with prohibited users.

When a user is banned because they are linked with another problematic user, they are not allowed to use the site again until the problematic acquaintance wins their appeal or if they verify that they are not “closely associated,” reports Motherboard.

In a statement, the company said that it does sometimes prohibit users if it finds that they “are likely to travel” with someone else who has already been banned, however, it is still unclear when this practice started or how frequently it happens.

The company described this as a “necessary safety precaution,” and a spokesperson said referring to such bans as merely a result of association is overly “simplistic”.

In an effort to ease worries that the platform puts either guests or hosts at risk, Airbnb has prioritised the safety of the users on its international network.

Airbnb also said it knows that the system is not perfect and there is an appeals process in effect for users who believe they have been wrongfully banned.

In January this year, the company had reached out to a user named Amanda to inform her that she was banned from the platform because the account was “closely associated with a person who isn’t allowed to use Airbnb”.

The company then also said: “If we find that you are not closely associated with a person who isn’t allowed to use Airbnb, we may restore your account. If not, your account will remain removed from Airbnb.”

If Airbnb didn’t conduct safety checks, it might encounter the possibility of endangering both its hosts and guests, the report said.