Supporting the fight against human trafficking with new host training

As part of our support for our community, Airbnb has partnered with subject-matter experts to help equip hosts globally with training on ways to identify and report potential trafficking and exploitation. This work builds on our long-standing commitment to leverage our global reach to help support efforts to end human trafficking and exploitation in all its forms. 

In partnership with ECPAT International, Airbnb has supported the launch of a free online learning course that provides hosts with practical guidance on recognizing, preventing, and reporting situations that may involve the exploitation of children. The course was created with the direct input of Airbnb hosts. Airbnb is promoting this training to its community of over 5 million hosts around the world to help empower more people to take an active role in helping to combat this issue. 

This global education comes alongside continued local training and engagement, including around major events where trafficking risks may be heightened. Ahead of the Big Game in Santa Clara, CA, we have partnered with Polaris Project to hold expert-led online training for our Bay Area hosts, designed to help broaden awareness of the warning signs of human trafficking and how to report suspicious activity.

These actions are the latest in a number of initiatives Airbnb has introduced and supported to aid worldwide and local efforts to help tackle human trafficking and exploitation.

In Mexico, we’ve partnered with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), as part of the Safe Travel Initiative, to hold a series of trainings for hosts on potential signs of human trafficking and exploitation, crime awareness, and reporting mechanisms during large events. These impactful trainings have reached over 800 hosts, tourism providers, and authorities across several Quintana Roo municipalities.

In Colombia, our measures to help confront trafficking have included guest attestations, requiring anyone booking a stay in the country to acknowlege our policies strictly prohibiting the use of listings for sex work and sex tourism, law enforcement training on how we can support investigations, and collaboration with on-the-ground-experts.

Through the Airbnb Community Fund, we help support causes and organizations that are important to our community, including efforts to help end abuse and exploitation. Since 2020 we have donated to over 50 organizations across 17 countries focused on helping to combat trafficking, exploitation, and abuse. Some of the organizations we have donated to in this space include Fundación Renacer in Colombia, Unbound Now, and The Florida Alliance to End Human Trafficking in the United States.

Also with Airbnb funding, Polaris Project’s Global Modern Slavery Directory was translated to more languages to help reach more survivors, including Arabic, Russian, Malay, Hindi, Tagalog, and Ukrainian. The directory helps to serve as an easy-to-use, quick way for survivors of human trafficking and exploitation to help connect with agencies around the world for support.

In parallel, we work closely with local government organizations and law enforcement agencies leading frontline response efforts against these crimes. Our dedicated law enforcement operations team regularly engages law enforcement agencies to help educate them on our support available to assist in relevant investigations, including trafficking prevention.

These external initiatives are reinforced by internal programs. Partners from our Trust and Safety Advisory Coalition (TSAC), which is made up of experts in trafficking prevention among other key safety topics, have helped to support Airbnb employee training. Last year, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) met with frontline team members from Airbnb to share indicators of child sex trafficking to assist their efforts to identify and act in response to potential concerning signs, while Polaris helped to support updated and expanded mandatory human trafficking prevention training for Airbnb employees.

These external initiatives are reinforced by internal programs. Partners from our Trust and Safety Advisory Coalition (TSAC), which is made up of experts in trafficking prevention among other key safety topics, have helped to support Airbnb employee training. Last year, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) met with frontline team members from Airbnb to share indicators of child sex trafficking to assist their efforts to identify and act in response to potential concerning signs, while Polaris helped to support updated and expanded mandatory human trafficking prevention training for Airbnb employees.

“While reported issues on Airbnb are rare, these initiatives further our commitment to using our platform and partnerships to support efforts to help eradicate human trafficking and exploitation. Tackling this issue requires collective action, and we aim to continue our investments to help advance this vital work.”

-Roger Kaiser, Vice President of Fraud & Safety Operations at Airbnb