Airbnb Is Deactivating Accounts Of People Trying To Attend A White Supremacist Rally
In anticipation of a white supremacist rally scheduled for this Saturday in Charlottesville, Virginia, Airbnb has started deactivating accounts of people it believes are booking units to host gatherings related to the rally.
The rally is going to be attended in part by staff from neo-Nazi website The Daily Stormer, which among other things has a section called "Jewish Problem" and frequently uses racial slurs. Airbnb suspects that several of its units were booked in relation to the gathering.
Airbnb said in a statement to BuzzFeed News it established community rules in 2016 that "make good on our mission of belonging" and that "those who are members of the Airbnb community accept people regardless of their race, religion, national origin, ethnicity, disability, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, or age."
The Airbnb Community Commitment is something signed by all people using the service, Airbnb said, and the company is removing people from the platform who are "antithetical" to this policy. They added that they are able to find these users who violate the policy "through our background check" and the "input of our community."
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Jason Kessler, a white supremacist helping to organize the rally, called on Twitter for a boycott of Airbnb because "we are having our civil rights violated."
"All persons shall be entitled to the full and equal enjoyment of the goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages, and accommodations of any place of public accommodation, as defined in this section, without discrimination or segregation on the ground of race, color, religion, or national origin ."
Interesting....I don't see where it says being a Nazi muffin head is considered a protected class
But let's say for the sake of argument it does show there is also an exception to public accommodation. If it is shown to pose a danger to business or financial loss to accommodate said public then exemptions can be allowed......i.e. letting hundreds of racists use you site knowing they are going to a racist rally in VA!
I'd bet these guys wouldn't have a problem with air BNB discriminating against, say, Jews or trans folks. I love air BNB. I've used them in Europe with good results and they have stood up against discrimination in the past.