Il Instagram Privacy Lawsuits Facial Recognition

Moreover, three states and the District of Columbia also sued Google in their respective jurisdictions in January 2022 for the company’s location tracking practices. The circumstances are presently pending, and Google’s motions to dismiss in two cases had been denied. As far as settlements, Google additionally separately paid $85 million in October 2022 to settle a privacy lawsuit introduced by the State of Arizona. You could have the potential of getting money or advantages that will come from a trial or a settlement. There are roughly 1.four million Illinois residents eligible to file a declare, according to SEOHost.net, an SEO hosting provider. Google Photos' Face Grouping device lets customers organize photographs of the same particular person by way of facial recognition algorithms. Plaintiffs within the Google lawsuit are expected to qualify for up to $400. – A class action lawsuit has been filed against an Illinois nursing residence supplier. The lawsuit alleged that Facebook’s preliminary model of the its Tag Suggestions software, which scans a user’s face in pictures and offers suggestions about who that individual might be, stored biometric data without person consent, violating the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act. A ultimate approval listening to within the case is scheduled for Wednesday earlier than Cook County Circuit Judge Anna M. Loftus, who granted preliminary approval of the settlement agreement this spring. If the settlement is accredited, claimants could obtain their cash inside 90 days of the approval, though any appeals would slow the process down. airbnb lawsuits We are devoted to attaining justice for our purchasers through class action, business-to-business, public client, whistleblower, and personal injury litigation. With the denial of certiori, the Family Defense Center plans to make legislative efforts to curtail some of the abuses challenged in the lawsuit a precedence for its work within the next few years. Major law companies are aiding the FDC in developing a legislative coverage agenda, and ISBA support for FDC’s proposals is likely to be requested within the near future. The courtroom of appeals assumed dad and mom would reject safety plans if they thought the State had no case against them. The trial courtroom found, nevertheless, that DCFS doesn't tell mother and father either why it has concluded a security plan is important, nor what proof it has gathered against them. Moreover, DCFS does not require that any evidence be secured before it tells parents they must have a safety plan or face their children’s elimination to foster care. In this case, having the assist of a staff of attorneys who're familiar with the process, filings, and administration of a class action may be of nice profit to you as an individual. Preliminary approval has been granted for a $3.5 million settlement of a category action lawsuit accusing Ceridian of violating Illinois’ biometric data privacy law with its time and attendance tracking merchandise, the Cook County Record reports. Today, 9 staff in Illinois authorities filed a federal class action lawsuit against AFSCME, demanding the union return money taken from their paychecks for union “agency” or “fair share” charges before the Court’s June 2018 ruling in Janus v. AFSCME. Businesses faced with a category action suit can no longer ignore consumer's fraud claims. Our lawyers have won substantial victories for our purchasers in school action cases in the court docket room and on the settlement desk. In this information, you'll learn to file a category action lawsuit. If you imagine you've grounds to file a class action lawsuit, retain a mass tort attorney that will assist you navigate the claims course of and defend your rights. You are signing up to take part in what’s recognized in the authorized world as “mass arbitration.” Mass arbitration occurs when lots of or hundreds of shoppers deliver individual arbitration claims against the identical company, on the identical time and over the same concern. In some cases, the corporate might choose to agree to a quick settlement somewhat than arbitrate the big number of claims and pay the pricey upfront charges that come together with doing so. However, regardless of how such business practices are viewed on an ethical stage, the shortage of complete data protection laws at the united states federal degree implies that businesses will proceed to steal the personal information of American citizens with out punishment. The suit was filed on behalf of three individuals and three companies. The plaintiffs have been ComEd customers since no much less than 2011, the yr federal prosecutors say the bribery scheme started. The suit comes less than two weeks after ComEd admitted to the scheme involving jobs, contracts and payments to government leaders in Springfield. If you choose out, then you'll not receive any benefit from the lawsuit, even whether it is resolved in favor of the plaintiff. When making this determination, you want to search the advice of an experienced class action lawyer who can clarify your legal choices. Depending on the state of affairs, you may be actively involved in a class action lawsuit. This is more than likely when you are one of many first folks to find the injury or hunt down authorized illustration. You could even be the class representative who recordsdata a category action on behalf of all of those that have been injured in your state or the us Mayer Brown is certainly one of the largest international law firms each by number of lawyers and revenue. Because of the presence of threats within the safety plan course of, the trial court concluded that security plans are not voluntary, and therefore they represent a “deprivation” of family liberty pursuits. Payments might be made only after the courtroom grants last approval of the settlement at a listening to scheduled for May 18. If the court docket approves the deal, payments can be made electronically via PayPal, Venmo or prepaid Mastercards. TikTok’s father or mother company, ByteDance, agreed in February to pay $92 million as part of a class-action payout to settle allegations that it harvested personal data from customers with out their consent.

If this were an AITA, I think this would be an ESH. Like this is a fucking nightmare to happen to your property. But I also kinda cringe that she bought a house and then immediately put it on the rental market for $8,500 and didn't vacate the apartment she was obviously paying way less money for (like people are free to make money and manage their money, I get it, but the housing sitch here is real fucking bad so my well of sympathy is low).

But also, scammers gonna scam, I guess?

Fuck Airbnb, goes without saying.

Just...for real, everybody sucks here.

Weekend links, May 19, 2024

My posts

I’m writing and drafting, but haven’t posted much per se. I have gotten through both a hypomanic episode and a sinus infection; I’ve been doing a lot of gardening and may post some pictures soon.

Reblogs of interest

Alice Munro, Nobel Prize winner and ‘master of the short story,’ dies at 92

Artist lawsuit against AI reaches milestone; discovery phase could unmask hidden practices of 'exploitative Goliaths'

Hot Vintage Lady Bracket: Quarterfinals. Somebody finally said something nasty enough that I need to step back. Eartha Kitt Nation, see it through to the end.  

That said, please enjoy the Diahann Carroll Barbie and back story that I posted. She’s currently up against Lauren Bacall, who I am named after.

(A story I’ve always liked: how Marilyn Monroe showed up for Ella Fitzgerald.)

Cousin Bartók is here to vanquish your bad day, and I needed it.

Also coming to help: This huge cat has been assigned to you. You must accept this situation and find joy in it.

Choices were made for King Charles’ official portrait: “that painting is going to weep the sequel to blood. after he dies charles is gonna crawl outta that thing like sadako”

Eduardo Valdés-Hevia’s photomanipulation art (read: unreality levels of spooky): the folklore of Asturias

Did you have an imaginary friend as a child, and what type? I had imaginary friends that were Type 1, and... well, I told you that story about my haunted childhood house, so... Type 5. 

How old were you when the first Twilight film (2008) came out? Understandably, I was tagged for this: 29 and recapping it. 

“were you alive when britney spears released ‘…baby one more time’? (september 29, 1998)” 42.1% of respondents: No. (19 and downloading it on Napster.)

“how many times will you loop a song if you really like it?” DAYS. (I can go weeks if I have a couple of songs to alternate in loop sessions). No, I did not realize I was on the spectrum until my late 30s, why do you ask.

HOT VIKING SINGLES IN YOUR AREA

AirBNB Host Cat guides you on Appalachian Trail hikes, or else

I think I joined the wrong Khan Academy

A cat being scuncht about it

Quackulets and Flamontagues

Do you have a cleaningsona? Are you a 400 year old vampire?

“I told her that no, I didn’t have a dog, I was starting the Purina Diet again”

The real purpose of the small talk that people hate so much: ritualized “I’m a human too!!” contact calls.

Video

It’s cool that someone drew a cat using musical notes. It’s ASTONISHING that it’s real music and actually delightful.

This restaurant staff wants this orange cat to stop sleeping in the aisle. This orange cat wants food and also two cat beds for himself and his girlfriend. Guess who wins.

Tiktok jams: Counting to 100 in Vietnamese.

Do You Like This Song? #219: “Freedom! '90” and its iconic video. 

The sacred texts

The Big Night Cat

Personal tag of the week

To celebrate orange cats this week, one orange braincell, except that I think the Restaurant Cat and the Trail Guide Cat are the only ones sharing it. 

The father of one of the victims of the Old Montreal [fire] filed an application on Friday for the authorization of a $22 million class-action lawsuit against, among others, the building’s owner and Airbnb. Randy Sears, the father of Nathan Sears, a 35-year-old man who died in the March 16 fire that claimed six other lives, is the plaintiff in the case before the Quebec Superior Court. According to the document presented on Friday, the negligence lawsuit targets the owner of the building, Émile Benamor, the owner of the short-term rental units, Tariq Hasan, who listed several units for rent on Airbnb, as well as Airbnb itself.

Full article

Tagging: @politicsofcanada

In the fight to regulate short-term rentals, New Orleans had a novel idea—it would hold a lottery. The plan was simple: Carve up the city into blocks and use a hand-cranked lottery machine to draw numbers, allowing one rental property per residential block. For the winners, the prize was a license to keep listing their property on sites like Airbnb and Vrbo. For the losers, despair.

But the controversial rules, enacted in March 2023, led to just one lottery before being temporarily halted by a federal judge in August. As the city awaits a final decision, short-term rentals in New Orleans have been left in limbo. The city has said it is no longer accepting applications for the short-term rental licenses it requires hosts to have, nor is it renewing existing ones. And, until the court makes a final ruling, the lottery balls have stopped spinning and the city has halted enforcement of its latest licensing rules.

The limbo stems from an ongoing lawsuit against the city from a short-term rental services company and a group of hosts who were unable to even enter the lottery due to narrow licensing rules.

Like many popular tourist cities across the world, New Orleans has a lot of short-term rental listings. On Airbnb alone, there were nearly 7,000 listings in early September—the majority of which were whole-home or short-term rentals, according to Inside Airbnb, a housing advocacy group that tracks Airbnb data. That’s about one listing for every 54 residents. By comparison, New York City had one Airbnb listing for every 220 residents before it enacted a sweeping law that caused the number of listings to plummet.

The average rent for an apartment in New Orleans is around $1,350 per month, but the average price per night of an Airbnb in the city is $198 per night, according to Inside Airbnb. That’s nearly $6,000 per month if booked each night. Officials say there are nearly 9,000 short-term rental listings in New Orleans, though the city did not answer questions from WIRED about how it tracks that number. More than 200 of those have been added in the past month.

Dawn Wheelahan, an attorney representing those suing New Orleans over the lottery law, disputes the idea that the city has too many Airbnbs. In a court document that uses city data, Wheelahan mapped which blocks would have multiple short-term rental applicants, and found most only had one applicant, while more than 50 blocks had three or four applicants and only one block had five applicants. “I just don’t see that there’s any proliferation” of short-term rentals, Wheelahan claims.

Whole-home rentals—the sort of bland and luxury stays that have become popular for travelers— are the ones perceived to eat away at housing stock, and can be owned by big-time landlords. New Orleans has tried and failed to stamp those out. Last summer, a federal court blocked another New Orleans law intending to ban whole-home, short-term rentals, ruling that it interfered with interstate commerce by barring people from out of state from owning and operating rentals in the city. Under the new, halted rule, people can own out of state, but there must be a host living on the property.

New Orleans wants to see the lawsuit resolved so it can “provide certainty and stability in this area of law for all citizens of New Orleans,” says Ashley Becnel, the chief zoning official with the city’s Department of Safety and Permits. The city maintains that the laws enacted this year “are constitutional” and “[it] is hopeful that the injunction will be lifted in the near future.”

In New Orleans, housing advocates say short-term rentals are hurting local residents—many of whom work in the tourism industry—and pushing them farther from the French Quarter, the city’s hub of bars, restaurants, and clubs. But residents fighting against the proliferation of short-term rentals face a Sisyphean task.

“It’s an industry that requires a lot of work to regulate, because [the short-term rental companies] don’t want to be regulated,” claims Allen Johnson, president of the Faubourg Marigny Improvement Association, a neighborhood group in the district next to New Orleans’ French Quarter. “It’s not really an industry that you can come to some sort of settlement with,” he argues. When one attempt at regulation fails and another is introduced, Johnson adds, there are new plaintiffs ready to challenge them. “It’s starting to feel like a game of whack-a-mole for legislatures.”

And for short-term rental hosts, the confusion and erratic shifts in regulation bring frustration and financial loss. Elisa Cool Murphy, a real estate agent, was operating a small Airbnb attached to her home in New Orleans. She says she entered the lottery for a license this summer before the court put a pause to the law. Like some other hopeful hosts, Cool Murphy was pitted against her own neighbors to compete for a lucrative short-term rental license.

Cool Murphy has a small suite on the property where she lives. She put the place—just a kitchenette, bed, and bathroom—on Airbnb. It’s not the kind of property a full-time tenant would likely lease, she argues. She says she took it off Airbnb temporarily due to the changing licensing requirements. The chaos around the lottery and the subsequent court delays have “needlessly caused a lot of anxiety and stress to people,” she says. Cool Murphy put the little suite back online in October after learning that the latest licensing rules weren’t being enforced.

Smaller short-term rental hosts like Cool Murphy say the New Orleans rules unfairly shut down dependable side hustles. Before the new rules were enacted, Airbnb hosts in New Orleans made a combined $114 million in 2021, with an average host earning over $16,500, according to the company. Airbnb also positions itself as a source of income and tax revenue for hosts and cities; in 2022, the company said it collected and remitted around $23 million in tourism taxes in New Orleans alone.

Airbnb isn’t involved with the current lawsuit, but the ruling would have implications for the company’s hosts. “The majority of hosts in New Orleans share just one home, and one-third say the income from home-sharing has helped them avoid foreclosure or eviction,” Nia Brown, an Airbnb regional policy manager, tells WIRED. “We believe there is a path forward to craft a sensible alternative to the current rules and hope lawmakers will bring all stakeholders, including our host community, to the table to find common ground.”

The saga in New Orleans is the latest example of a city trying to wrest back housing and calm rising rent and property prices. It’s been a problem around the globe ever since companies like Airbnb made short-term rentals a lucrative alternative for landlords.

In Florence, Italy, lawmakers recently voted to ban new short-term rentals in the city center. New York City began enforcing a strict law on short-term rentals earlier this month. The change immediately led some 15,000 short-term rentals on Airbnb to either disappear or convert to long-term listings. The move is seen as a test: If America’s biggest city can stamp out illegal short-term rentals, it sends a loud message for other cities looking to do the same. But the latest languishing court case in New Orleans shows just how difficult it can be for cities to wrap regulations around the unwieldy short-term rental industry. As it sits in limbo, the bookings continue.

BBC 0423 12 Mar 2024

12095Khz 0359 12 MAR 2024 - BBC (UNITED KINGDOM) in ENGLISH from TALATA VOLONONDRY. SINPO = 55445. English, ID@0359z pips and newsroom preview. @0401z World News anchored by David Harper. Former US President Donald Trump has criticised a congressional bill to force TikTok's parent company to sell the app or see it banned in the US. Mr Trump, who attempted to ban TikTok in 2020 while in the White House, said the proposal would give unfair advantages to Facebook owner Meta. Lawmakers are debating a measure that would force TikTok parent company ByteDance to sell it by 30 September. President Joe Biden has said he will sign the bill if it passes. Haiti's Prime Minister Ariel Henry has resigned, the chair of the Caribbean group of countries has said, following weeks of mounting pressure and increasing violence in the country. It comes after regional leaders met in Jamaica on Monday to discuss a political transition in Haiti. Mr Henry is currently stranded in Puerto Rico after being prevented by armed gangs from returning home. He had led the country since the former president's assassination in July 2021. A former Boeing employee known for raising concerns about the firm's production standards has been found dead in the US. John Barnett had worked for Boeing for 32 years, until his retirement in 2017. In the days before his death, he had been giving evidence in a whistleblower lawsuit against the company. Boeing said the 62-year-old had died from a "self-inflicted" wound on 9 March and police were investigating. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has been selected to seek a third, successive term in July 28 elections, a senior ruling party official said Monday. The Supreme Court loyal to Maduro upheld a 15-year ban on opposition primary winner Maria Corina Machado and others, prompting the US to consider reimposing sanctions. A South Korean man has been detained in Russia accused of espionage, Russian media report. Baek Won-soon was arrested in the far-eastern city of Vladivostok "at the start of the year", state agency Tass reported, and is now in a Moscow jail. He is believed to be the first South Korean detained in Russia under suspicion of espionage. The price of Bitcoin, the world's largest cryptocurrency, has hit a new all-time high, above $72,000. The surge is being driven by US finance giants pouring billions into buying bitcoins. The new record represents another dramatic moment in Bitcoin's turbulent history. In recent years Bitcoin crashed in value after many traditional investors dismissed its rise as a speculative bubble. Airbnb says it is introducing a worldwide ban on the use of security cameras inside rental properties. Airbnb users have previously voiced concerns about the use of indoor surveillance cameras. Bananas are set to get more expensive as climate change hits a much-loved fruit, one of the world's top experts from the industry tells BBC News. Pascal Liu, senior economist at the World Banana Forum, says climate impacts pose an "enormous threat" to supply, compounding the impacts of fast-spreading diseases. @0406z "The Newsroom" begins. Backyard fence antenna w/MFJ-1020C active antenna (used as a preamplifier/preselector), Etón e1XM. 250kW, beamAz 315°, bearing 63°. Received at Plymouth, MN, United States, 15359KM from transmitter at Talata Volonondry. Local time: 2259.

Elizabeth Hirschhorn, the Brentwood tenant who did not pay rent for her luxury Airbnb rental for 570 days, moved out of the unit on Friday.The move was exactly one month after The Times chronicled Hirschhorn’s contentious tenancy, which began with a cordial stay on Airbnb and ended with her and Sascha Jovanovic, the landlord and property owner, suing each other.“I’m a little overwhelmed, but I finally have my home back,” Jovanovic said. “I had such a peaceful weekend once she left.”Read more: 'The tenant from hell': She refused to pay for her luxury Airbnb for 540 days. She says she has a legal right to stayDuring her stay, which began in September 2021, Hirschhorn said that the lease was extended off Airbnb and that the unit was subject to the Rent Control Ordinance, so Jovanovic would have to evict her if he wanted her to leave. She also argued that she didn't have to pay rent since Jovanovic never obtained an occupancy license for the guesthouse.Jovanovic, who lives on the property, was at the home on Friday being interviewed for a documentary detailing the battle between him and Hirschhorn when he saw three men, who turned out to be movers, walk into the guesthouse.He said he asked why they were there, and they didn’t clearly say why. He suspected she could be moving out but feared it also could be a home invasion, so he called the police.The police arrived, and once all of Hirschhorn's belongings were packed, they escorted her off the property, Jovanovic said.Jovanovic and his attorney, Sebastian Rucci, knocked on the door to confirm she was gone and then entered the guesthouse and found it empty. Within an hour, a locksmith arrived and changed the locks.As of now, it’s unclear whether Hirschhorn moved out permanently, or if she’s planning to return to the property.Jovanovic and Rucci said they hadn’t heard anything from either Hirschhorn or her legal team, so they assumed she had moved out for good. On Saturday, Rucci emailed Hirschhorn’s attorney, Amanda Seward, to figure out the next steps regarding Jovanovic’s eviction lawsuit against Hirschhorn.“My review of the case law is that once a tenant abandons the unit, the unlawful detainer is dismissed. If you wish, I can file the dismissal, or we can file a joint dismissal,” Rucci wrote.Seward replied that they “may have jumped the gun,” according to the email exchange reviewed by The Times.“Ms. Hirschhorn had discussed with me concern over the constant harassment and surveillance, and also the desire to get the things repaired that needed to be repaired. Subject to my discussions with Ms. Hirschhorn, please be advised that you have no authority to change the locks or to assume abandonment of the unit,” Seward wrote. “Further, you have violated the law by entering without permission and changing the locks.”Neither Hirschhorn nor Seward immediately responded to a request for comment.Rucci said he’s planning to drop the unlawful detainer lawsuit, assuming Hirschhorn has moved out for good. But he'll still pursue damages in a separate lawsuit, since he claims Hirschhorn owes roughly $58,000 in unpaid rent. Hirschhorn said she owes nothing since Jovanovic never had a license to rent the unit, and her lawsuit accuses him of multiple forms of harassment and intimidation in attempts to get her to leave the place, which Jovanovic has denied.Hirchhorn’s tenancy became a viral story in the days and weeks after The Times chronicled the saga. News vans posted up outside the home, and paparazzi followed Hirschhorn whenever she left.“Drones were flying above my house every day. It was crazy,” Jovanovic said.Read more: How exactly did the Airbnb ‘tenant from hell’ get away with living rent-free for 540 days?Now, he plans to address the mold damage in the unit, which was an issue during Hirschhorn’s stay that eventually soured their relationship. He also plans to get the necessary permits from the city, which was another issue; Jovanovic never obtained a license to rent the unit, and Hirschhorn

argued in court that he wasn’t allowed to charge rent on a unit he didn’t have a license for.After that, he plans to turn the space into a recreation room for his two adolescent children.“We need to get the bad energy out and turn it back into a happy, family space,” he said.Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | Landmark Legal Battle: Airbnb Faces Multi-Million Dollar Copyright Infringement Suit

Landmark Legal Battle: Airbnb Faces Multi-Million Dollar Copyright Infringement Suit — In a groundbreaking legal case, Plaintiff Tamerlane Timur Bey II, the CEO of Beysicair Inc, Inc., a corporation registered in the state of California, has filed a multi-million dollar lawsuit against Airbnb, Inc., a global hospitality giant headquartered in San Francisco, California. The lawsuit, filed in the…

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Dywgh, Bee/fawn/bee prowls/fawnsbee or whatever she wants to call herself this week has been creating very derogatory posts about me. Her latest has made claims that she was abused and that I’m gay. Neither of which are true but since she/he/them or any new and future things she decides to call herself wants to make these things public, I felt the need to address them.

1st the issue of abuse; during her entire life, she was spanked one time. This incident occurred when she was almost 2 years old and still wearing a diaper. A time that the only reason she even remembers it is because the story has been told to her. She was out of hand at a nice restaurant. Her mother and I tried everything to get her to behave. She was taken out to the car and given 2 two swats on the but(thru a diaper) we waited till she calmed and said she’d be good. We went back inside and finished our dinner. She never acted that way again. Now, that being said I would like to point out that her mother sat inside eating her steak and could’ve cared less other than that she didn’t want to deal with our daughter. It’s amazing that she doesn’t ask her mom why she allowed such horrible abusive behavior in a public parking lot…oh because it was simply normal parenting. Sorry you can’t actually remember the one time you were spanked but seem to buy the b.s. your mother feeds you.

2nd my gender preference and sexuality; This story was used by her mother during our divorce to try to take away my parenting time. She brought In photos of a guy with a 12in dong claiming it was me. The judge didn’t even entertain it but obviously her mom is still attempting this story. I do come to your page to read and see how you are because I will always love and care about you and want you to have a good life, but to be honest, the damage you continue to do does nothing more than to justify why I had to walk away in hopes that you could figure out the truth. Also, at this point I feel that maybe the only real solution is a defamation lawsuit against you and your mother. I think I’d like to own an airbnb in North Carolina.

Also I find it hugely ironic that she is gay and uses derogatory terms like “faggot” I can only imagine the uproar if someone had negatively attacked her in such a manner. If a person was to call her cis, she’d be going ballistic about it. Again, nothing more than a hypocrite, like her mother.

Every year I send her something on her birthday. Even though she chooses to have nothing to do with me and always tries to demonize me. This kid was spoiled by me and manipulated by her mother. She was my only child and dad’s little princess up until she was about 15 and her mom really started to ramp up the manipulative behaviors. I’ve come to the conclusion that there really is nothing left I can do to save it, so at least if the two of them take an ass kicking in court…maybe she’ll at least shut up with her cry baby b.s.

Airb 'n' NYC: Battling for short-term rentals amidst a housing crisis

By Gregory Martinez, Rutgers University–New Brunswick Class of 2026

June 18, 2023

A lawsuit filed on June 1 by Airbnb, Inc. against New York City seeks to fight back against new citywide restrictions on short-term (less than 30 days) rentals. A city law passed in 2021, set to be enforced in July 2023, required anyone who wished to rent out a property short-term to go through an extensive registration process with the city, on top of the already strict eligibility requirements that include a ban on hosting in a rent-regulated unit. But on June 1, 2023, Airbnb finally struck back by filing a 112-page complaint and motion for preliminary injunction with the Supreme Court of New York County. In the complaint, Airbnb called the new laws “[NYC’s] most extreme and oppressive regulatory scheme yet” and a “de facto ban against short-term rentals.” The long-standing, but relatively obscure battle against the short-term rental industry is ultimately further shuffling as lawmakers attempt to find solutions to the worsening housing crisis, said to be exacerbated by short-term rentals, while allowing the free market to flow. Whether or not Airbnb and short-term rentals belong in this conversation, or are simply politicians’ attempts to sidestep the real problems, are but small cogs in this grand wheel.

For full article please visit

Airb ‘n’ NYC: The Latest Fight For Short-term Rentals In The Big Apple

at

New Jersey PreLaw Land

Airb 'n' NYC: The Latest Fight For Short-term Rentals In The Big Apple

By Gregory Martinez, Rutgers University–New Brunswick Class of 2026

June 12, 2023

If you’re one of the two-thirds of New York City residents who occupy a rented home [1], your living options may be under fire. A lawsuit filed on June 1 by Airbnb, Inc. against New York City seeks to fight back against new citywide restrictions on short-term (less than 30 days) rentals. Airbnb, as it is colloquially known, was founded in 2008 as a platform where common homeowners could rent out their living spaces for only a few days at a time, allowing travelers living spaces in areas that attract fewer tourists and therefore have less traditional hotels available. The San Francisco-based company has enjoyed tremendous success in its 15 years of life, to the point where it has emerged as a genuine threat to the traditional hospitality industry, with mammoth hotel chains lobbying for greater restrictions on the short-term rentals that make the company what it is, and various cities nationwide complying.

New York City and the Office of Special Enforcement in particular has been longtime foe of Airbnb, having settled with the company in separate lawsuits filed in 2016 and 2018 about short-term rental fines and city demands for Airbnb to share information about its listings respectively [2] [3]. However, the result of this newest lawsuit could have more drastic effects on the fate of the company in the city, with the Big Apple looking to take more forceful and direct action against the company. A city law passed in 2021, set to be enforced in July 2023, required anyone who wished to rent out a property short-term to go through an extensive registration process with the city, on top of the already strict eligibility requirements that include a ban on hosting in a rent-regulated unit [4] [5].

On June 1, 2023, Airbnb finally struck back by filing a 112-page complaint and motion for preliminary injunction with the Supreme Court of New York County [6]. In the complaint, Airbnb called the new laws “[NYC’s] most extreme and oppressive regulatory scheme yet” and a “de facto ban against short-term rentals.” The thorough case against New York City argued that:

The anti-short-term rental laws were “arbitrary and     capricious”, and were designed to drive Airbnb out of the market

There was a breach of the contract of the aforementioned 2016 settlement

There was a breach of good faith in the 2020 settlement     (which settled the aforementioned 2018 lawsuit)

The anti-short-term rental laws clashed with section 230 of  the Communications Decency Act

among other things.

The “arbitrary and capricious” claim is the most blunt of the bunch. New York’s increasingly strict laws surrounding registration make it extremely difficult for hosts to enter the world of short-term rentals, to the point where as of May 2023, the city had only approved nine new registrations for short-term rental hosting, a massive loss in an area that currently has a market of 20,000 hosts. Dan Wasiolek, a senior equity analyst at Morningstar Research Services, says that “A fraction of one percent of Airbnb listings have gotten official verification, which is a sign that the law is extremely restrictive … it’s my understanding the city isn’t explaining to people why their application is rejected” [7]. It can be difficult to keep up with the plethora of laws and regulations on what makes a legal short-term rental property, and many people who would otherwise be inclined to enter the market might not even bother.

These laws, Airbnb argues, actively discourage people from using their platform, threatening their business and “ significantly harming tourism and the New York City economy.”

Understanding the second and third claims requires a deeper understanding of the 2016 and 2018 lawsuits, and the respective settlements mentioned previously. In October 2016, then-governor Andrew Cuomo signed a law that allowed for fines of up to $7,500 for illegally listing a property on rental platforms like Airbnb. New York City banned rentals shorter than 30 days in 2010, and although these bans had been largely ignored by landlords, and properties were listed on platforms like Airbnb anyways, Airbnb argued that the new fines were a step too far in imposing on their business. The complaint filed by Airbnb stated that “In order to be assured of avoiding liability, including potential criminal prosecution, Airbnb would be required to screen and review every listing a host seeks to publish,” a financial burden too great to put on the company [8]. The saga was resolved with a settlement only two months later, under the condition that fines would only be placed on the hosts performing the illegal activity and not Airbnb, Inc. [2]. However, as previously mentioned, the battle between New York City and Airbnb raged on with another lawsuit in 2018. This was yet another response to efforts to crack down on illegal short-term rentals, with the New York City Council voting on a bill in July 2018 that would require online rental companies like Airbnb to provide the addresses, names, and more of every host in its network to the Office of Special Enforcement. Airbnb cited privacy concerns as reason for its opposition to the bill, and after a drawn-out court battle, an eventual settlement in 2020 “limited Airbnb’s reporting obligations to short-term rentals that were rented for more than four days and that either (a) included an entire dwelling unit or (b) were rented to three or more individuals at the same time” [6]. Both these settlements have lied dormant in electronic filings for years, but with the latest action by New York City, Airbnb now alleges that the city is breaking both agreements. The argument is that New York City have broken the 2016 contract by making it more difficult to advertise the Airbnb product, and that the 2020 contract was violated because the newest laws require Airbnb to report every short-term rental, as opposed to the specific ones outlined above.

But the crux of the case possibly lies in the fourth claim, that New York City’s actions violate the famous Section 230. The seminal line, buried in the relatively obscure Communications Decency Act, states that “no provider or user of an interactive computer service shall be treated as the publisher or speaker of any information provided by another information content provider”, and is the center of any legal argument surrounding free speech on online platforms [9]. It protects online platforms from being liable for the content posted on them, meaning that if someone slanders another person on Twitter, the victim can sue the slanderer, but not Twitter. This provision allows media companies to exist without an overarching fear of being buried in lawsuits brought on by its users and has been a part of countless court rulings since its passing. Airbnb argues that by imposing on its business in an overarching manner because of the threat of illegal rentals, it is essentially holding the company liable for the activities of its users, clearly a violation of Section 230. In a similar case, Gonzalez v. Google, LLC (2021), the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed the suit of the family of a victim of the 2015 ISIS attack in Paris who alleged that Google was liable for the attacks due to Google-owned video sharing platform YouTube being used as a recruiting device by the terrorist organization, on the grounds that Google was protected under Section 230 [10]. If the court finds that Airbnb has similar protection, it may prove more difficult for New York City’s lawyers to make a case against the rental platform.

With so many arguments on Airbnb’s side, it begs the question of why exactly New York City has remained determined to fight against the company. Throughout its years of fighting short-term rental, the city has maintained the position that it is all part of the battle against the housing crisis. New York City has struggled to fit its enormous population into proper living conditions for decades, and the problems are only getting worse. Rent is rising, conditions are terrible, and many people face eviction and possible homelessness daily [11]. So when companies like Airbnb make repeated short-term rentals more profitable than long-term ones, it discourages landlords from servicing New York residents looking for a home to make their own, decreasing the supply for the increasing demand for property. Furthermore, studies have shown that Airbnbs have a tangible financial impact on the communities they occupy. A US report published in 2020 suggested that a 1% increase in Airbnb listings leads to a 0.018% increase in rents and a 0.026% increase in house prices, which on average translates to an annual increase of $9 in monthly rent and $1,800 in house prices [12].

Lawyers and judges will be the ones to decide the legal merits of Airbnb’s arguments in this lawsuit, but in the bigger picture there still remains question as to whether or not taking action against Airbnb and the short-term rental industry should be the focus of the housing debate. Airbnb vigorously rejects the housing argument, claiming that the city’s true motives are to protect the hotel industry that the company competes against, to the point where Airbnb once published a list of City Council members and how much the hotel industry had contributed to their respective campaigns [13]. Perhaps Airbnb is just an easy target to blame for rising housing costs and the struggles the city faces, and interfering in the short-term rental business is not going to solve any of the real issues. The short-term rental industry is a highly complex sector that without real federal standards has struggled to move past the complicated world of navigating countless different local ordinances. Because it is so difficult to have a conversation about the industry, it has struggled to counter the narrative that it ruins communities and economies. And even if short-term rentals do ultimately harm communities and average citizens, it begs the question of if governments have the right to drive out and regulate companies operating within the confines of the law once they meet the definition of “harming communities”.

But whether or not governments have the right to do this, they are already taking action. On June 9, 2023, shortly after the latest fight in New York City, French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire announced that France was actively working to close tax loopholes that often benefitted short-term rental companies like Airbnb [14]. Once precedent is set, other major cities such as San Francisco and Los Angeles that already have heavy restrictions on short-term rentals may follow and crack down even further on the industry. The relatively obscure battle is ultimately further shuffling as lawmakers attempt to find a balance between making housing affordable and available for its citizens and allowing the free market to flow. Whether or not short-term rentals belong in this conversation, or are simply politicians’ attempts to sidestep the real problems, are but small cogs in this grand wheel.

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[1] U.S. Census Bureau (2021). American Community Survey

[2] Benner, Katie. “Airbnb Ends Fight with New York City over Fines.” The New York Times, 3 Dec. 2016, www.nytimes.com/2016/12/03/technology/airbnb-ends-fight-with-new-york-city-over-fines.html.  

[3] “City of New York and Airbnb Reach Settlement Agreement.” The Official Website of the City of New York, 12 June 2020, www.nyc.gov/office-of-the-mayor/news/432-20/city-new-york-airbnb-reach-settlement-agreement. 

[4] Zaveri, Mihir. “Airbnb Sues New York City over Limits on Short-Term Rentals.” The New York Times, 1 June 2023, www.nytimes.com/2023/06/01/nyregion/airbnb-sues-nyc-rentals.html. 

[5] “Registration for Hosts.” NYC - OSE, www.nyc.gov/site/specialenforcement/registration-law/registration-for-hosts.page. 

[6] New York Supreme Court. Airbnb, Inc. vs. New York City Mayor’s Office of Special Enforcement et Al. 1 June 2023.

[7] Kelleher, Suzanne Rowan. “Why Airbnb Can Survive a ‘de Facto Ban’ in New York City.” Forbes, 8 June 2023, www.forbes.com/sites/suzannerowankelleher/2023/06/07/why-airbnb-can-survive-a-de-facto-ban-in-new-york-city/?sh=3442c17d7570.  

[8] Benner, Katie. “Airbnb Sues over New Law Regulating New York Rentals.” The New York Times, 21 Oct. 2016, www.nytimes.com/2016/10/22/technology/new-york-passes-law-airbnb.html. 

[9] Ortutay, Barbara. “What You Should Know about Section 230, the Rule That Shaped Today’s Internet.” PBS, 21 Feb. 2023, www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/what-you-should-know-about-section-230-the-rule-that-shaped-todays-internet.  

[10] United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Gonzalez v. Google, LLC. 22 June 2021.

[11] “In New York City, Housing Supply Continues to Fail to Meet Demand.” Spectrum News NY1, 10 Oct. 2022, www.ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/housing/2022/10/07/new-york-city-housing-supply-demand.  

[12] Barron, Kyle and Kung, Edward and Proserpio, Davide, “The Effect of Home-Sharing on House Prices and Rents: Evidence from Airbnb.” SSRN, 4 Mar. 2020

[13] Greenberg, Zoe. “New York City Looks to Crack down on Airbnb amid Housing Crisis.” The New York Times, 18 July 2018, www.nytimes.com/2018/07/18/nyregion/new-york-city-airbnb-crackdown.html?action=click&module=RelatedCoverage&pgtype=Article®ion=Footer.  

[14] Thomas, Leigh. “France Plans to Close Tax Loophole Benefiting Airbnb.” Reuters, 9 June 2023, www.reuters.com/business/france-plans-close-tax-loophole-benefiting-airbnb-2023-06-09/.  

From its offices in Menlo Park, California, the venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz has assisted in the huge growth of firms like Twitter and Coinbase for more than ten years. The business unveiled a16z Crypto Fund's London branch as its first location outside of the United States on Sunday. The decision was made in the midst of an atmosphere in the US that is becoming more unfriendly to cryptocurrencies, including a lawsuit filed on Tuesday by the Securities and Exchange Committee against Coinbase, a former portfolio company. The Biden administration is really just attempting to kill off the technology, said Chris Dixon, the senior general partner at a16z and head of its cryptocurrency fund, in an interview. As legislators, led by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, work to regulate the industry, the firm's choice shows its trust in the U.K. as an up-and-coming crypto powerhouse. According to Dixon, it merely has every component you would like to see in an up-and-coming tech center. The office will be run by Sriram Krishnan, a general partner of a16z, and is expected to launch later this year. A $43 million investment in Gensyn, a cryptocurrency-meets-AI startup with headquarters in the UK, was revealed by the venture fund as part of the move. Dixon referred to the endeavor as "Airbnb for GPUs," building a blockchain-based market place for businesses searching for processing capacity. Arweave, Aztec, and Improbable are just a few of the U.K.-based cryptocurrency businesses in which a16z has previously made investments. The company also intends to collaborate with universities to create blockchain clubs and nurture talent for the cryptocurrency industry, including through its Crypto Startup School accelerator programme, which is designed to help business owners create Web3 firms. In the most recent round, there were almost 8,000 candidates and 26 firms that obtained funding and mentoring from a16z. More importantly, a16z crypto sees the U.K. as a potential safe haven and a leader in the world for cryptocurrencies when opportunities in the U.S., at least temporarily, fade. In his capacity as finance minister, Sunak supported cryptocurrencies and blockchain, and other MPs, including MP Lisa Cameron, are pressing for regulation of digital assets. Brian Quintenz, the head of policy at a16z crypto and a former commissioner at the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission, claimed that the U.K. is thinking about adopting a regulatory structure similar to a draught bill that the Republican chairs of the House Financial Services and Agriculture committees released about a week ago. According to Quintenz in an interview, they are considering this as an investment in the U.K. with the proper regulatory approach that guarantees a high standard of client protection—but that embraces decentralization. Quintenz said that a16z crypto hopes to steer discussions, including working closely with 10 Downing Street. The U.K. is still debating how to approach regulation; in mid-May, the parliament's Treasury committee suggested that crypto trading should be treated as a form of gambling instead of as a financial service. As we solidify the U.K.'s position as a science and technology superpower, we must embrace fresh ideas like Web3, which is powered by blockchain technology and will allow start-ups to flourish here and boost the economy, Sunak said in a statement. Andreessen Horowitz, a global leader in investing, has chosen to establish their first foreign office in the United Kingdom, and for this reason he is happy. Dixon emphasized that a16z is still a U.S. company despite the growth. He was upbeat that lawmakers would reconsider the necessity for crypto regulation, as they did with early internet legislation, and he cited the fact that online business was illegal until Congress passed several laws in the 1990s. He asserted that the [crypto] sector will endure. He believes the U.S. will eventually make the right decision.

Airbnb and Hosts Sue City, Calling New Registration Rules a Virtual Ban

Katie Honan, The City This article was originally published on Jun 1 7:03pm EDT by THE CITY An Airbnb search showed ‘over 1,000’ available lodgings throughout the five boroughs, June 1, 2023. | Ben Fractenberg/THE CITY Hospitality giant Airbnb and several of its local hosts filed lawsuits against New York City on Thursday, with both seeking to block a new short-term rental law and registration…

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Victim’s father files application for $22 million class-action lawsuit after Old Montreal fire

The father of one of the victims of the Old Montreal filed an application on Friday for the authorization of a $22 million class-action lawsuit against, among others, the building’s owner and Airbnb. Randy Sears, the father of Nathan Sears, a 35-year-old man who died in the March 16 fire that claimed six other lives, is the plaintiff in the case before the Quebec Superior Court. Flowers and…

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Australia Accuses Airbnb Of Misleading Clients On Value

Florence additionally referred to as for individuals to induce lawmakers to assist address the issue. "Even if we can’t get any action from Airbnb, which would be disappointing, we’re hoping this brings consciousness to many. If we can’t depend on firms to prioritize safety for its customers, we've airbnb lawsuit to make sure we do it for ourselves." Since her initial posts, speculation in regards to the incident has continued, with some doubting how actual the scenario was. Some have claimed that she is posing as one other individual, claiming to have discovered pictures of her ‘real’ self.

The suit was filed as New York City is within the grip of a tight housing market, with critics blaming Airbnb for the squeeze by reserving models exclusively for tourists. AIRBNB has filed a lawsuit in opposition to the company that owns Niido, a neighborhood that encourages brief airbnb lawsuit time period rentals. The law local proposed within the settlement would require quarterly reporting for a certified group of short-term rental users, instead of month-to-month reporting for all customers.

This means that you'll want medical documentation detailing your accidents. If you don’t have this documentation, it is going to be challenging to prove an accident brought on your injuries and win your case. Palestinians who wish to establish an impartial state taking within the West Bank have welcomed Airbnb's move. Most world powers view Israel's construction of settlements on occupied Palestinian land as a violation of international law, and Palestinians say it's mistaken for corporations to profit from them. Dispute is the best & most correct small claims platform with reasonably priced methods to resolve each dispute. Finally, write in plain language that you'll go to small claims court if necessary.

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A month and a half after the ordinance was passed, Airbnb sued the county. Four months later, Airbnb sued the city, alleging the rules—which went into effect January 1—violate state and federal laws. Wu says the city modeled its ordinance after San Francisco's, which Airbnb complies with. The Boston lawsuit—much like others just lately filed by Airbnb—only challenges requirements that platforms take away illegal listings and share information with local officials to help enforcement. The suit seeks an injunction against elements of the law, and town has agreed to not implement those sections till a decide guidelines.

Attorney L. Chris Stewart announced the families' intention to file a lawsuit against Airbnb during a press conference in New Orleans, citing the company's failure to implement a mandate for carbon monoxide detectors at all rental properties. After an Airbnb damage, a claim could be filed in opposition to the host or the corporate itself (Airbnb supplies $1 million insurance coverage policies airbnb lawsuit for injury claims). But without the assistance of an experienced DLG lawyer, Airbnb’s high-powered legal team will undoubtedly do everything they will to decrease liability and place you at fault (and therefore liable for any medical payments, misplaced wages, and so forth.).

Relatives of the three Americans killed in an Airbnb in Mexico will sue the platform

Relatives of the three Americans killed in an Airbnb in Mexico will sue the platform

Relatives of Kandace Florence, Jordan Marshall and Courtez Hall, who died in an apartment in Mexico City, allegedly due to carbon monoxide poisoning, announced a lawsuit against Airbnb, the platform through which the victims rented the apartment where they died. The families of the three Americans told NBC that the lawsuit, which has not yet been filed in court, seeks to force the company to make…

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