Peer-to-peer property rental app, Airbnb, have revealed they are to share customer data with the Chinese Government. In line with Chinese laws and regulations, any customer booking to stay at an Airbnb listing in China will have their personal information, including passport information and travel dates shared.
Airbnb China currently has 140,000 listings and it is not just its customers that will be required to give up their personal information. Information of all new Airbnb hosts will also be passed on as soon as they start accepting bookings.
An company spokesperson explained:
“The information we collect is similar to information hotels in China have collected for decades. [It is] one step we are taking as we explore ways to help our hosts and guests follow the appropriate rules and regulations [in China].”
All hotels in China already share guest information with the local police and Government whilst tourists staying in private accommodation are supposed to share their details with the local police within 24 hours of arrival.
Data capture is not a new thing
Airbnb China have admitted that storing information of all its users is not a new process. Although new guidelines will see the details shared with the Government, they have stored customer information since launching Airbnb China back in 2016.
Airbnb China was launched to facilitate the firm’s huge demand in the country two years ago. In a continued effort to conquer to huge Chinese market, the firm announced last year that their Chinese subsidiary was to be renamed “Aibiying”, translating simply to
“welcome each other with love”.
The ambitious tech-giants are already valued at $30 billion and have recently revealed an ambitious target of one billion guests worldwide within ten years – the Chinese market will certainly be crucial to the firm achieving this goal.
Let us know what you think; should every country introduce such a policy?
