Airbnb, Oregon Women Settle Racial Discrimination Claim

Airbnb has settled a lawsuit brought by several Oregon women who said the site allowed vacation rental owners to discriminate against customers based on race.

The Oregonian/OregonLive reports African American plaintiffs Pat Harrington, Carlotta Franklin and Ebony Price alleged that by requiring and disclosing users’ full names and photographs, Airbnb allowed its hosts to discriminate against black users in violation of Oregon’s public accommodation laws.

Airbnb changed its policies in 2018 so hosts using its platform can choose not to require photos, and said photos would only be shown to hosts after they accept a booking. It did not announce any further changes Tuesday.

In separate statements, Airbnb and the plaintiffs’ attorneys said the website had renewed its commitment to the 2018 change regarding photos and would “review and update the way profile names are displayed to hosts as part of the booking process.”