There are conflicting views regarding whether companies should be doing business in territories that are the subject of a wide range of ongoing disputes.
As a global platform operating in 191 countries and regions and more than 81,000 cities, we must consider the impact we have and act responsibly. Accordingly, we have developed a framework for evaluating how we should treat listings in disputed territories, including territories some consider occupied where homes — the core of our business — are central to ongoing tensions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where have you decided to remove listings based on the application of this framework?
To date we have applied our decision-making framework and concluded that we will remove listings in:
- South Ossetia
- Abkhazia
- Settlements in the West Bank
We continue to review other areas of the world that are the subject of disputes and will provide updates as appropriate.
Have you removed listings in these regions?
We are working with experts to develop and validate the means to implement our policy. For example, we must appropriately identify the precise boundaries of the areas subject to our policy and ensure that our technological solutions attend to the relevant details. Accordingly, we are continuing our work with a range of experts and stakeholders as we continue to move forward.
What is your anti-discrimination policy?
In 2016, Airbnb launched our Community Commitment, which requires all members of our community to affirmatively agree to “treat everyone in the Airbnb Community – regardless of their race, religion, national origin, ethnicity, disability, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, or age – with respect, and without judgment or bias.” We have consistently applied this commitment and our anti-discrimination policy and have a track record of working to ensure that neither the platform nor those using the platform are engaging in bias or discrimination.
Why did you decide to remove listings in settlements in the West Bank?
Information regarding this decision is available here.
Why did you decide to remove listings in South Ossetia and Abkhazia?
Pursuant to application of the company’s global framework for disputed territories, Airbnb had concerns that because homes — the core of the Airbnb business — are a central element of the dispute among stakeholders in South Ossetia and Abkhazia, Airbnb’s listings could be implicated in ongoing tensions. In applying the global framework to these disputed territories, Airbnb determined that the existence of the listings in these disputed territories has a direct connection to the larger conflict in the region.