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Airbnb under scrutiny in Europe ahead of ground-breaking regulation
Airbnb could be among the targeted platforms when the European Union presents its digital services act.
International
LONDON — Airbnb could be among the targeted platforms when the European Union presents a raft of tougher regulations targeting tech companies next month.
The European Commission, the executive arm of the EU, is expected to overhaul the management of content on platforms like Google and Facebook with its Digital Services Act — the first regulation of its kind since 2000.
Its overall aim is to ensure fair competition in the European market, but the rules are expected to require dramatic changes to the business models and practices of Big Tech.
One of the big uncertainties is which platforms will have to abide by the new rules. The Dutch government wants Airbnb to be among them.
“To tackle the side effects of ‘short-term holiday rentals’ on European cities and enforce legislation, we need better access to data from platforms such as Airbnb,” Kajsa Ollongren, deputy prime minister of the Netherlands, said on Monday.
In a document seen by CNBC, the Dutch government argued that short-term holiday rentals “can have negative effects on public interests, such as the housing market, liveability, social cohesion, safety and the level playing field for other providers of such accommodation.”
As such, the Netherlands believes having access to Airbnb data would enable it to better respond to these challenges.