Airbnb revealed the news in a blog post yesterday, saying: The post cites three reasons why Airbnb opposes the new legislation. According to them, the proposal: The new law also violates the federal Stored Communications Act, which creates uniform privacy protections for internet users and prevents cities from simply demanding that platforms turn over user information without a subpoena or other legal process.” It’s a situation similar to Uber and Lyft’s issues in Austin. There, the ride-sharing services were required to use a fingerprint verification process. They, too, retaliated strongly—likely in an effort to keep other cities from following suit, a move that would require them to spend far more on the verification process. The lesson: When startups move in on territory that has traditionally been legislated, they should invest in a legal team to suss out potential laws that they’ll have to navigate. Or to start suing cities.
