Guilty by association: Airbnb is banning accounts connected to already banned users

The tech company positioned the faulty screening protocol to crack down on accounts that could likely be travelling with users who have violated Airbnb policies in the past. Association with these tarnished users deems a person just as risky. — AFP

Airbnb is taking the term “guilty by association” to a new level. As a safety precaution, the accommodation site is banning users who are “closely associated with” users who are already prohibited.

The tech company positioned the faulty screening protocol to crack down on accounts that could likely be travelling with users who have violated Airbnb policies in the past. Association with these tarnished users deems a person just as risky.