Airbnb is introducing a new weapon in its war against fun by rolling out “anti-party technology” across Canada and the US.
Catch-up: In June, Airbnb permanently banned unauthorized parties on its properties, following a temporary (and well-received) ban adopted at the outset of the pandemic.
While the phrase anti-party technology brings to mind a house robot that scolds you or a speaker that only plays elevator music, it’s really an algorithm that blocks bookings deemed most likely to host a thrown-down at someone else’s beachfront property.
- It considers factors including the guest’s review history, the length of stay, how close they live to the listing, and whether they’re booking for a weekday or weekend.
If a booking raises flags, Airbnb will block it and offer an alternative listing less conducive to partying—like a single room where the host lives onsite or a hotel with a security patrol.
Why it matters: In Australia, Airbnb found the algorithm reduced unauthorized parties at its properties by 35%, but this type of technology is also often prone to certain biases. Users might not like a system that wrongly accuses them of being irresponsible partiers.
Bottom line: Factor in rising Airbnb prices and hotels are starting to look like an even more attractive option.