[toomuchtodo]

The problem is this "sharing economy" facade.

You have a right to pick and choose who you want in your home, even if you don't like LGBT folks, African Americans, caucassions, whatever.

But the sharing economy isn't about sharing. It's about business platforms that monetize slack capacity of different resources.

So you're operating a business now (yes, really). And a business can't discriminate against a protected class. And AirBnB wants to portray an aura of community, so instead of saying "you can't legally discriminate; don't or we'll kick you off the platform" it's the proverbial "can we not all get along?; you must to continue on the platform"

Everyone will agree to this except a few folks who want to make a point, and those people who were discriminating before will continue to do so.

Silicon Valley needs to learn that scolding, lynching, patronizing people online isn't going to fix systemic socioeconomic issues. Those take decades to show positive change, and require far more effort than the community outreach resources of a few companies in the tech industry.

Edit:

My comment should've been more specific. In a non-business setting, you can pick and choose who is in your home. Not when renting the entire premises out to someone. AirBnB tries to portray its transactions as community when it's really just a business, with the rules and regs that go with that (anti-discrimination).

[mahyarm]

You can legally discriminate in some categories in shared living situations in many places although. You can legally say you want only female or male roommates, or no couples and so on. And you can do it for money, it doesn't matter if your renting or own the place.

If you are renting a place outright, then you cannot.

So in that aspect you are allowed to do that.

[Pinckney]

Right, but how many people actually rent their own residence on Airbnb?

[jacquesm]

Everybody, and only for a few days per year ;)

[eli]

What percentage of airbnb rentals are roommates vs short term subletters?

[onewaystreet]

> You have a right to pick and choose who you want in your home

You don't if you are renting your home. Whether Airbnb hosts legally classify as renters is something that each state is dealing with. Airbnb is choosing to get ahead of the issue by adding this requirement.