Airbnb user trustworthiness scoring

Transparency and accountability 🔥

Airbnb's user trustworthiness scoring is seen to suffer from a number of important transparency and accountability limitations.

• Algorithmic black box. Airbnb does not tell users how they decide if they are trustworthy or how they can improve their trust scores.

• Data sources. It is unclear what personal information Airbnb uses in scoring, which raises privacy concerns.

• External assessments. Airbnb does not alow third-parties to assess or audit their user trustworthiness system.

• Complaints and appeals. If you think your score is wrong, there is no clear way to challenge it or get it fixed.

Risks and harms 🛑

Airbnb’s user trustworthiness scoring has been criticised for being manipulative, unfair and a violation of privacy. 

Legal, regulatory 👩🏼‍⚖️

• EPIC (2020). EPIC Files Complaint with FTC about Airbnb’s Secret “Trustworthiness” Scores

• EPIC (2020). Complaint and Request for Investigation, Injunction, and Other Relief Submitted by The Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) (pdf)

Research, advocacy 🧮

• CHOICE (2022). Is Airbnb using an algorithm to ban users from the platform?

• Consumer (2022). Could you be banned from Airbnb for your Instagram posts?

• Ma X., Neeraj T., Naaman M. (2017). A Computational Approach to Perceived Trustworthiness of Airbnb Host Profiles (pdf)