News Airbnb Will Hide Guest Names in Test Program to Prevent Racial Bias The policy change will be tested for residents of the state of Oregon and be fully implemented by Jan. 31. By Alison Fox Alison Fox Instagram Twitter Alison Fox is a journalist whose work regularly appears in Travel + Leisure. She has also written for Parents.com, The Wall Street Journal, and amNewYork. She focuses on travel news and feature stories based on personal experiences and interviews. Born in Brooklyn and a lifelong traveler, she developed a love for exploring the world at an early age and hopes to visit every country. * Traveled to 50+ countries * Received a master's degree in journalism from Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications at Northwestern University * Received a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Wisconsin-Madison Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines Published on January 6, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Airbnb is hiding potential guests' names in a test program in Oregon in an effort to prevent racial bias and discrimination going forward. The policy change will be tested for residents of the state of Oregon and be fully implemented by Jan. 31, replacing a guest's name with their initials, according to Airbnb. Hosts will only be able to see a guest's full name after a booking is confirmed. The policy will remain in effect for at least two years. "Airbnb has no tolerance for discrimination, and we have taken a number of steps to help fight bias," the company wrote. Airbnb said the policy change was "consistent with the voluntary settlement agreement we reached in 2019 with individuals in Oregon who raised concerns regarding the way guests' names are displayed when they seek to book a listing." That lawsuit was brought by three Black plaintiffs who argued Airbnb allowed hosts to discriminate against customers based on race, NBC News reported. xiao zhou/Getty Images The company said it would use lessons learned from the new policy "to inform future efforts to fight bias." But Airbnb spokeswoman Liz DeBold Fusco told NBC News in a statement the program would so far be limited to Oregon "Given that the impact of this change is unknown." Airbnb said it has made additional efforts to address bias by changing the way profile photos are displayed "to encourage more objective bookings" and launching "Project Lighthouse," a research effort aimed at informing the best ways to "help combat racial discrimination and bias that Black users and other people of color have faced when using Airbnb." "While we have made progress, we have much more to do and continue working with our Hosts and guests, and with civil rights leaders to make our community more inclusive," the company wrote. This isn't the first time Airbnb has changed its policy. In 2019, for example, the company vowed to implement stricter rules on house parties following a fatal shooting at a California rental property, which it has continued to apply to this day. Alison Fox is a contributing writer for Travel + Leisure. When she's not in New York City, she likes to spend her time at the beach or exploring new destinations and hopes to visit every country in the world. Follow her adventures on Instagram. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit