Information relating to Airbnb hosts with listings in China may be shared with the Chinese authorities from Friday.
A message sent to hosts on the American short-term lodging website this week informed users that the move is being made in order to comply with local law.
“Airbnb China must comply with local laws and regulations, including privacy and information disclosure laws,” the message read. “Airbnb China may disclose your information to Chinese government agencies without further notice to you…”
A button allowing users to deactivate their listing was included.
China has strict regulations for hospitality firms whereby guests must use valid identification to check-in at hotels, with the information then being passed to local police.
Last month, media watchdog Reporters Without Borders has urged journalists using Apple iCloud China to migrate their account to another geographic region or close their accounts within the month, after a Chinese company took over its servers. The move meant personal data could be accessed by the authorities.
