That doesn't seem like Airbnb's problem though. I wouldn't think that's the only reason unless the government is making them do it. That's entirely possible, but at the same time, the information they're asking for is a gold mine for marketers.
Of course it's Airbnb's problem. They pay the fraudsters host account via bank transfer and then get a credit card chargeback, losing whatever money they paid the host.
I'm not convinced that money laundering laws mean someone with a legitimate business has to do intrusive data collection to police their customers. If they marketed Airbnb as a money laundering solution, that'd be different.
I did say it's possible the government is pressuring them do it, but that's something I suspect Airbnb could fight if they were motivated to do so.
(Chargebacks do make it their problem though, so my premise was false anyway.)
> I'm not convinced that money laundering laws mean someone with a legitimate business has to do intrusive data collection to police their customers. If they marketed Airbnb as a money laundering solution, that'd be different.