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Airbnb hires ex-U.S. Attorney General to help shape policy
A 3D printed people's models are seen in front of a displayed Airbnb logo in this illustration taken, June 8, 2016.
Reuters/Dado Ruvic/Illustration
Airbnb said on Wednesday it hired former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to help craft its anti-discrimination policy to combat discrimination occurring on the home-sharing company's platform.
Airbnb, which allows private homeowners, or "hosts," on the site to rent apartments and houses on a short-term basis, has received complaints of discrimination based on race, gender and sexual orientation.
"While we have a policy that prohibits discrimination, we want this policy to be stronger," Airbnb Chief Executive Brian Chesky said in a blog post announcing the hiring of Holder.
Holder, the first African American to hold the position of U.S. Attorney General, will be working with John Relman, a civil rights attorney and authority "on fair housing and public accommodation issues," Chesky said.
In June, Holder wrote to lawmakers on behalf of ride-hailing service Uber to argue against the use of fingerprint-based background checks as they consider how to regulate ride-hailing service drivers.
Airbnb has said that discrimination occurring on its platform is the biggest challenge facing the company. Last month, the hashtag #AirbnbWhileBlack trended heavily on Twitter in the United States, serving as a forum for black travelers to share experiences of racial discrimination from white Airbnb hosts.
(Additional reporting by Heather Sommerville in San Francisco)
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