Airbnb urged to investigate as hosts report privacy breach
Airbnb hosts are reporting they can see the private inboxes of other users as well as addresses and security codes.
Airbnb hosts commenting on Reddit, the US news discussion website, are reporting a series of worrying breaches happening within the Airbnb app allowing them to see the private inboxes of other users when they log in, including people’s names, addresses and the codes to their properties.
Airbnb hosts from France, the US and Canada have reported issues on the Reddit discussion thread.
One Airbnb host in the Reddit community wrote: "Happening to me as well. Just had another host call me and advise they have access to my account (wondering if I had access to theirs). Every time I refresh, it’s a new account/inbox – from Canada."
Another host wrote: "Same here on refreshing. I sent tons of screenshots to Airbnb to show them. When I saw the code to get in someone’s house they were messaging to a guest, that really bothered me. I should NEVER be able to see that. Big breach of security.
The issue appears to be occurring worldwide.
Ray Walsh, Digital Privacy Expert at ProPrivacy, is calling on Airbnb to launch a full investigation to ascertain how and why it occurred.
"It seems clear that the leak is going to cause a lot of upheaval for Airbnb hosts, who will need to update the codes to their homes in order to secure them and ensure they are not potentially at risk of burglary," said Walsh.
He added: "Early reports appear to indicate that Airbnb is telling hosts to clear their cookies in order to fix the problem. This is not a suitable response because the onus should not be on consumers to fix Airbnb’s mistake."
TravelMole has asked Airbnb for a comment.
Lisa
Lisa joined Travel Weekly nearly 25 years ago as technology reporter and then sailed around the world for a couple of years as cruise correspondent, before becoming deputy editor. Now freelance, Lisa writes for various print and web publications, edits Corporate Traveller’s client magazine, Gateway, and works on the acclaimed Remembering Wildlife series of photography books, which raise awareness of nature’s most at-risk species and helps to fund their protection.
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