Airbnb will be reviewing Washington, D.C., area reservations ahead of the Jan. 20 inauguration in an attempt to prevent people connected to hate groups from staying with their hosts.
The rental website released a statement on Monday announcing the “Capitol Safety Plan,” which comes in response to the Wednesday siege of the U.S. Capitol.
“Dating back to the tragic events around Charlottesville in 2017, Airbnb has applied Trust and Safety defenses in order to combat violent and discriminatory hate groups,” the company said. “To that end, on an ongoing basis, Airbnb has removed people from the platform associated with violent hate groups in advance of specific events, including taking action ahead of the horrific attack on Congress, by cancelling reservations and removing accounts associated with hate group members, including Proud Boys.”
Airbnb said it is introducing the seven-step plan in order to “help build trust and assist with protecting the greater D.C. community.”
In addition to reviewing D.C. reservations and banning those users associated with hate groups, individuals identified as being part of the violence at the Capitol will be banned from the platform. Additional security checks will be put in place, and those staying with Airbnb who plan violence or are found to be part of a hate group may be subject to legal action from the company, the company said.
These moves come as some city officials have recommended closing rental reservations until after the inauguration.
“Avoid renting out rooms on January 17-20. There’s no way to guarantee that your guests are not coming to incite violence,” D.C. Councilmember Janeese Lewis George tweeted. “Please protect your neighbors and the District from more attacks.”
An internal FBI bulletin reportedly warns that armed protests are being planned in all 50 state capitols and Washington, D.C.
President Trump approved D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s request for an emergency declaration leading up to Inauguration Day, and the mayor urged people to watch the inauguration virtually rather than coming to the district in person.
