7 ms·

Suspension of Airbnb Operations in Russia and Belarus

29 points by sevazhidkov 5y ago

Andrew_nenakhov 5y ago
Belarus and Russian dissidents abroad, seeking a temporary housing while fleeing their oppressive governments, will be delighted by this. Ban on Belarus users is even more ironic how quickly the world has turned on them: just a few months ago they were welcomed in many places as victims of brutal dictator Lukashenko and his purges, but now they must suffer for not succeeding in overthrowing him. Madness.
- jeanlou 5y ago
  Madness indeed
- trasz 5y ago
  This doesn’t apply to anything abroad, only to Russia and Belarus. And honestly, anything that can hurt Russia is fair at this point. Including whatever collateral damage.
  - Andrew_nenakhov 5y ago
    It does apply to everything abroad. The version of this announcement in Russian [1] is far less ambiguous, and clearly says: "Гостям из России и Беларуси больше не доступно оформление бронирований на Airbnb." (Bookings on Airbnb are no longer available to guests from Russia and Belarus). This is also corroborated by first hand accounts of people who used the service after fleeing the country. And no, this doesn't hurt "Russia" (as in Putin's war effort), but it does a great deal of hurt to anyone protesting war. [1]: https://www.airbnb.ru/help/article/3211/%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%B8%D0%BE%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%BA%D0%B0-%D0%B4%D0%B5%D1%8F%D1%82%D0%B5%D0%BB%D1%8C%D0%BD%D0%BE%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B8-airbnb-%D0%B2-%D1%80%D0%BE%D1%81%D1%81%D0%B8%D0%B8-%D0%B8-%D0%B1%D0%B5%D0%BB%D0%B0%D1%80%D1%83%D1%81%D0%B8 https://www.airbnb.ru/help/article/3211/%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%B8%D...
    - trasz 5y ago
      Okay, this makes it questionable indeed. On one hand helping Russians fleeing the country is important, on the other hand - this might affect Russians on holidays, who are not fleeing anywhere, and in this aspect is a good thing.
      - Andrew_nenakhov 5y ago
        Some Russian journalist made an inquiry, and reportedly Airbnb clarified that Russian and Belorussian will be able to book via Airbnb abroad, but the statements on their website remains unchanged.
  - samhyde69 5y ago
    So the holocaust was a fair reaction to the Jewish role in bolshevism?
- pvaldes 5y ago
  Maybe this temporary houses would serve better to fleeing millions of Ucranians that, unlike Russians, had their homes destroyed
  - Andrew_nenakhov 5y ago
    It is curious how you think that one type of victims of same regime is more deserving than the other. Especially those Belorussians, just a few months ago they were fleeing from concentration camps, where they were tortured and raped, but now the situation is completely different, and the temporary houses they occupy would serve fleeing Ukrainian better.
    - deleted 5y ago
      [deleted]
    - pvaldes 5y ago
      Renting a house is not a right. The house owners can deny the access to the resource to anybody by reasons as having an ugly pet. But we aren't talking here about a noisy dog, we are talking about giving the keys to your home to citizens from two nations that in the last month had systematically bombed thousands of buildings, set fire and demolished millions of homes. Have burnt-down thousands of houses like yours. After systematically ravaging them, and often after murdering all the owners (owners like you), and their entire families. They --could-- be also really nice people but the tenant can't know it (and would be facing still a risk against their property being vandalized by a third actor, because is hosting Russians). You would be buying tickets for a lottery for housing the worse nightmarish guest in the planet. The best outcome for the tenant would be to receive a few bucks. The worse would be renting your home to possible arsonists, looters, people that could be hiding stolen properties in your property, or even serial murderers. It just doesn't worth the trouble, specially when there is a high demand and plenty of better candidates. What I'm trying to say is that Airbnb is not a charity. "All the customers should paid the same because moral" is not how companies work. Some customers are more expensive to the company than other. Some carry a too poor cost/benefits ratio.
      - 5y ago

29 points by sevazhidkov 5y ago

Belarus and Russian dissidents abroad, seeking a temporary housing while fleeing their oppressive governments, will be delighted by this. Ban on Belarus users is even more ironic how quickly the world has turned on them: just a few months ago they were welcomed in many places as victims of brutal dictator Lukashenko and his purges, but now they must suffer for not succeeding in overthrowing him. Madness.

jeanlou 5y ago
Madness indeed
trasz 5y ago
This doesn’t apply to anything abroad, only to Russia and Belarus. And honestly, anything that can hurt Russia is fair at this point. Including whatever collateral damage.
- Andrew_nenakhov 5y ago
  It does apply to everything abroad. The version of this announcement in Russian [1] is far less ambiguous, and clearly says: "Гостям из России и Беларуси больше не доступно оформление бронирований на Airbnb." (Bookings on Airbnb are no longer available to guests from Russia and Belarus). This is also corroborated by first hand accounts of people who used the service after fleeing the country. And no, this doesn't hurt "Russia" (as in Putin's war effort), but it does a great deal of hurt to anyone protesting war. [1]: https://www.airbnb.ru/help/article/3211/%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%B8%D0%BE%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%BA%D0%B0-%D0%B4%D0%B5%D1%8F%D1%82%D0%B5%D0%BB%D1%8C%D0%BD%D0%BE%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B8-airbnb-%D0%B2-%D1%80%D0%BE%D1%81%D1%81%D0%B8%D0%B8-%D0%B8-%D0%B1%D0%B5%D0%BB%D0%B0%D1%80%D1%83%D1%81%D0%B8 https://www.airbnb.ru/help/article/3211/%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%B8%D...
  - trasz 5y ago
    Okay, this makes it questionable indeed. On one hand helping Russians fleeing the country is important, on the other hand - this might affect Russians on holidays, who are not fleeing anywhere, and in this aspect is a good thing.
    - Andrew_nenakhov 5y ago
      Some Russian journalist made an inquiry, and reportedly Airbnb clarified that Russian and Belorussian will be able to book via Airbnb abroad, but the statements on their website remains unchanged.
- samhyde69 5y ago
  So the holocaust was a fair reaction to the Jewish role in bolshevism?
pvaldes 5y ago
Maybe this temporary houses would serve better to fleeing millions of Ucranians that, unlike Russians, had their homes destroyed
- Andrew_nenakhov 5y ago
  It is curious how you think that one type of victims of same regime is more deserving than the other. Especially those Belorussians, just a few months ago they were fleeing from concentration camps, where they were tortured and raped, but now the situation is completely different, and the temporary houses they occupy would serve fleeing Ukrainian better.
  - deleted 5y ago
    [deleted]
  - pvaldes 5y ago
    Renting a house is not a right. The house owners can deny the access to the resource to anybody by reasons as having an ugly pet. But we aren't talking here about a noisy dog, we are talking about giving the keys to your home to citizens from two nations that in the last month had systematically bombed thousands of buildings, set fire and demolished millions of homes. Have burnt-down thousands of houses like yours. After systematically ravaging them, and often after murdering all the owners (owners like you), and their entire families. They --could-- be also really nice people but the tenant can't know it (and would be facing still a risk against their property being vandalized by a third actor, because is hosting Russians). You would be buying tickets for a lottery for housing the worse nightmarish guest in the planet. The best outcome for the tenant would be to receive a few bucks. The worse would be renting your home to possible arsonists, looters, people that could be hiding stolen properties in your property, or even serial murderers. It just doesn't worth the trouble, specially when there is a high demand and plenty of better candidates. What I'm trying to say is that Airbnb is not a charity. "All the customers should paid the same because moral" is not how companies work. Some customers are more expensive to the company than other. Some carry a too poor cost/benefits ratio.
    - 5y ago