Airbnb
ジャーナリストのZak Stoneは、テキサス州でAirbnbに宿泊している間に起きた父親の死について、興味深く、かつ示唆に富む記事を書いた。
Stoneによると、家族でサンクスギビングの休暇旅行に出かけた先で、彼の父は庭のブランコに乗った。するとブランコが結ばれていた木の幹が二つに折れ、「直後に脳機能が停止」し、搬送先の病院でStoneの父は最終的に生命維持装置を外され死亡した。
それは胸が張り裂けるような話であり、もしStoneの記事が、Airbibの家主を全面的に非難するものであっても、私には十分理解できる。しかし、彼はジャーナリストとしてこれに向き合い、会社は宿泊客の安全を守るためにもっと出来たのではないかという厳しい質問を投げかけ、問題の複雑さを受け入れた。
Stoneは、少なくとも他に1名、Airbnbレンタルで死んだ客がいることを知った ― カナダ人の旅行者で、滞在した台湾のアパートの一室は一酸化炭素で満たされていた。
Airbnbや他の「共有経済」会社に共通する弁解は、個々のサービス提供者の責任を彼らが負わないことだ ― そこはつながりを提供する市場であり、この場合は客とホストをつなぐ。しかし、Stoneはこう反論する。
もちろんプラットフォームは、中立的なテクノロジーの断片ではない。そこには市場の価値が組み込まれ、利益は最大に法的責任は最小になるよう戦略的にデザインされている。こうした曖昧性に乗じる企業は、消費者にリスクをもたらす。特に彼らが取り扱うのは人間の体験であり、自らがホストする法的に曖昧な活動に挑戦することで、プラットフォームの存在意義を訴えてきたNapsterやTumblr等が扱うような単なるデータや音声ではない。
Stoneはこうしたアプローチを、アパートよりずっと厳しい安全基準の下で運営されているホテルと対比する。また、Airbnbにとって宿側との関係は完全な受け身ではないことも指摘する ― 会社がプロの写真家を手配して、宿の紹介ページに魅力的な写真が載るようにしている。
「皮肉なことに、施設の写真を撮り宣伝するという平凡な仕事をうまくこなせないシロウト主人に、もてなしで最も大切な、宿泊客の安全と命を守ることが求められている」と彼は書いている。。
ともあれ、問題は他にもたくさんあるので、是非記事を読まれたい。私はAirbnbにコメントを求め、次の回答を得た。
このような事態が起きたことを知り、大きな衝撃を受け心を痛めている。その宿泊客とその家族のことは引き続き私たちの心に留められている。安全より大切なものはない。6000万人以上の宿泊客がAirbnbに滞在し、驚くほど事故が少ないことを誇りに思っている。あらゆる業界、あらゆるコミニティー、そしてあらゆる都市が安全問題に取り組み、完璧な実績を持つ者は誰もいないが、それがわれわれの目標であり、誰にとってもより安全なコミュニティーにするために、できる限りの努力を続けていく。
[原文へ]
（翻訳：Nob Takahashi / facebook）
（2015年11月10日 TechCrunch日本版「Airbnbの安全対策に問題提起する、ある父親の死の物語」より転載）
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A luxurious chalet on a private island in the Muskoka region ($1,500 per night)(25 of123)
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A luxurious chalet on a private island in the Muskoka region ($1,500 per night)(26 of123)
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A luxurious chalet on a private island in the Muskoka region ($1,500 per night)(36 of123)
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A former convent in the Laurentides ($1,600 per night)(55 of123)
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