Airbnb is implementing new safety measures after a shooting at one of its listings in Toronto led to the deaths of three young adults.
The company says it is going to limit young adults’ ability to rent some listings in Canada in an attempt to prevent unauthorized parties.
It’s going to launch a pilot project that won’t allow people who are younger than 25 from renting out an entire home. Airbnb says that it will confirm users’ ages through “user verification systems,” but hasn’t elaborated on how these systems will work.
However, it says that users under 25 who have positive reviews and have certain criteria will still be allowed to rent out entire homes locally.
Airbnb also plans to introduce a 24/7 neighbourhood support hotline that will connect users with “rapid response agents.”
The company says that it is going to donate $300,000 over three years to Canadian Doctors for Protection from Guns. It says that the money will go towards raising awareness about keeping communities safe from guns.
This isn’t the first time that Airbnb has had to change its policies after a shooting. Last year, five people were killed at a Halloween party in California. Airbnb responded to the shooting by banning all open invite parties at all of the properties on its platform.
Source: The Canadian Press
MobileSyrup may earn a commission from purchases made via our links, which helps fund the journalism we provide free on our website. These links do not influence our editorial content. Support us here.
