Airbnb Blacklists Every Russian And Belorussian

Airbnb has banned the entire populace of two countries. If you are located in Russia or Russia-aligned Belarus, you will no longer be able to make reservations through the platform, anywhere in the world.

News of the upcoming ban was reported earlier this month, after Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky, currently sporting a Ukraine flag in his Twitter profile, tweeted that the platform planned to suspend all operations in both countries. Airbnb has since released details of the move on its website, including the fact that “guests located in both countries will no longer be able to make new reservations anywhere in the world.”

This illustration picture taken on November 22, 2019, shows the logo of the online lodging service Airbnb and the Olympic rings displayed on a smartphone and a tablet in Paris. (Photo by LIONEL BONAVENTURE/AFP via Getty Images)

Via Airbnb:

Airbnb has suspended operations in Russia and Belarus. This means that new reservations cannot be made for stays or Experiences in Russia or Belarus, and guests located in both countries will no longer be able to make new reservations anywhere in the world.

This is an evolving situation, and we’ll provide further guidance as we receive more information.

How this affects Hosts
Listings in Russia or Belarus will no longer have availability on their calendar, and Hosts won’t be able to accept new reservations.

How this affects guests
Guests globally will no longer be able to make new reservations for stays or Experiences in Russia or Belarus.

Guests located in Russia or Belarus will not be able to make new reservations on Airbnb.

The platform did not clarify if the ban applies to citizens of Russia and Belarus who are located outside the two countries.

Airbnb has blacklisted users in the past for political reasons, including, most recently, conservative author Michelle Malkin and her husband. Banning the entire populace of two countries is an even bigger step, unprecedented in the platform’s history.

The company continues to operate in numerous countries that are notorious for human rights abuses, including China.

Allum Bokhari is the senior technology correspondent at Breitbart News. He is the author of #DELETED: Big Tech’s Battle to Erase the Trump Movement and Steal The Election.

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