Airbnb responds to EU consultation on forthcoming Digital Services Act

Airbnb submitted its response to the European Commission’s proposed Digital Services Act and detailed the sort of general framework it supports. Public consultations on the Act, which will regulate digital services, are now closed. Airbnb welcomed the legislative initiative, considering it is an opportunity to ‘update the EU’s rules to make Europe’s platform economy stronger, more trusted and more competitive’. Airbnb explicitly supported key areas of the Act involving the aspects of: (a) safety and trust; (b) a clear and updated European digital framework for platforms providing digital services; and (c) more data transparency. The platform highlighted that its main values rely on safety and trust to protect its users. So far, Airbnb has limited booking for those younger than 25, has banned events, and has created a detailed cleaning protocol. Furthermore, regarding data transparency, Airbnb requested additional clarity on what the data-sharing clauses of the act may imply. Currently, the platform has signed several data-sharing agreements with EU national governments.