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Airbnb To Face Off With Attorney General In Court This Week
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Apr 20, 2014
Modified Apr 20, 2014
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By
Christopher Robbins
Published Apr 20, 2014
Modified Apr 20, 2014
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Airbnb may soon have to hand over the names and addresses of its renters in New York—the company is set to appear in an Albany courtroom on Tuesday to contest the attorney general's subpoena for the personal data.
In an enthusiastic blog post written in the style of idiotic clickbait ("We were shocked when the New York Attorney General demanded personal information…But we were amazed at what happened next."), Airbnb co-founder David Hantman vows to fight on: "Taking on an Attorney General who is determined to fight innovation and attack regular people isn’t easy and we won’t succeed without standing together."
Hantman describes what might happen in court:
The judge in this case could issue a ruling on Tuesday, or take weeks or even months to make up his mind. He could rule in our favor, or against us. He might ask the Attorney General to narrow his demand. If we are ordered to hand over any data, we will work to ensure you are properly notified before the government receives any information about you or your listing.
Last week Airbnb estimated that its users could contribute $22 million in taxes if the service was allowed to collect them on behalf of the state, which requires a change in the law, a change the hotel lobby continues to fight.
"Just this year alone, the Airbnb community will generate $768 million in economic activity in New York and support 6,600 jobs," Hantman contends. Sure, some escort services will continue to see your apartment as a cheaper alternative to a hotel, and hearing those drunk Australians sing "Blue (Da Ba Dee)" for a sixth time on a Tuesday night really devalues your market-rate shoebox, but you don't want to kill all those jobs, do you?
Tagged
airbnb
Drunk Australians Go Home
eric schneiderman
Christopher Robbins
Christopher Robbins is a New York City reporter covering transportation, affordable housing, local politics, and criminal justice. His work has also appeared in New York Magazine, The Village Voice and The New York Times. Chris is a graduate of Patrick Henry High School in Roanoke, Virginia, and enjoys biking to Fort Tilden in the summertime.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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