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Airbnb will share guest information with Chinese authorities

The company will give the government data like passport information and booking dates.

Roger Cheng Former Executive Editor / Head of News
Roger Cheng (he/him/his) was the executive editor in charge of CNET News, managing everything from daily breaking news to in-depth investigative packages. Prior to this, he was on the telecommunications beat and wrote for Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal for nearly a decade and got his start writing and laying out pages at a local paper in Southern California. He's a devoted Trojan alum and thinks sleep is the perfect -- if unattainable -- hobby for a parent.
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  • SABEW Best in Business 2011 Award for Breaking News Coverage, Eddie Award in 2020 for 5G coverage, runner-up National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Award for culture analysis.
Roger Cheng
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Airbnb, whose CEO Brian Chesky is shown here at a San Francisco event last month, will be more forthcoming with the Chinese authorities. 

James Martin / CNET

If you're booking a room with Airbnb and heading to China, be aware that the company is giving your information to government authorities there. 

The home-sharing service will begin sharing data on guests, including passport information and booking dates, with the Chinese government, according to Bloomberg, which also reported that the company may disclose information on hosts as well. 

Hotels are already obligated to report their information to the authorities, Bloomberg noted in its article Thursday. But Airbnb's approach automates the process, which means all of the information automatically goes to the Chinese government. 

"Like all businesses operating in China, Airbnb China must comply with local laws and regulations," said a spokesman. "We're committed to doing all we can to keep our hosts and guests informed about our work in China and we recently updated our hosts about our requirements under the law."