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I am relatively new to airbnb. I have booked three places through airbnb and have had relatively normal experience thus far. However, when I tried to book an accommodation recently, they asked me to verify my identity. They ask to enter either passport or driver license copy to verify my offline identity. Alternatively, I can give them my home address and SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER. Then there is something called online identity, which should be verified by me connecting my facebook, linkedin, or gmail account to verify my online identity. Connecting these accounts will allow airbnb to access my contacts, profile information. I wanted to book the accommodation bad enough that I submitted my passport copy and connected my profile with the gmail account. BUT my passport copy was not accepted (it was very clear) and that my gmail account "did not have enough activities to be verified" (I use it almost every day) so I should connect my FB and Linked in account in addition to my gmail. So in the end, they got my passport info and gmail address and contacts, but I still could not book the accommodation.

I am utterly shocked that this type of requirements are even legal. I understand that the host would want to know that I am not some some maniac looking to destroy their apartment, so I would have been ok with sending a copy of my passport to the host in advance. But to connect such personal info with my profile and keep it online for eternity seems ridiculously illegal. Also I thought only certain institutions like banks and the government can ask for social security number.

I think someone should start a suit against airbnb to rectify this ridiculous situation and come up with better solutions to verify identities. Anyone have thoughts?

Reason of review: Order processing issue.

Location: Madison, Wisconsin

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Guest

you DO NOT have to provide a copy of your passport or drivers license, the airbnb parasites want it but it is not mandatory, I was "verified" with an email account not in my name, i provided a cell in a friends name and posted a picture of a dog as being me-and airbnb has "verified" my identiy

Guest

And maybe u should raise this to certain authorities?

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