Airbnb faces boycott calls
Airbnb, the online homestay marketplace, is facing boycott calls after reports have surfaced that its billionaire co-founder Joe Gebbie has joined Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Why It Matters
Airbnb has a reported 150 million users globally, including over 45 million in the United States. It has faced calls for boycotts multiple times over the years, due to alleged issues including fees and pricing issues, gentrification and the housing crisis, lack of regulation and safety issues, and allegations of discrimination.
Mike Windle/Getty Images for Airbnb
DOGE is tasked with identifying and eliminating what the administration considers excessive federal expenditures. The initiative has already recommended dissolving agencies such as the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and restructuring other departments. Gebbia’s entry marks further private-sector influence in shaping federal policy.
What To Know
Calls to boycott Airbnb have circulated across Instagram, TikTok and X, formerly Twitter.
In a post on X, formerly Twitter from Cheri DiNovo which has been viewed over 375,000 times read: “YIKES! As someone (among thousands of Canadians) who’ve booked through AirBnB just learned co-founder of AirBnB has joined with Elon Musk DOGE team. Boycott AirBnB! There are other vacation rentals..”
YIKES! As someone (among thousands of Canadians) who’ve booked through AirBnB just learned co-founder of AirBnB has joined with Elon Musk DOGE team.
Boycott AirBnB! There are other vacation rentals..
— Cheri DiNovo (@CheriDiNovo) February 17, 2025
Another post on X which has been viewed over 31,000 times read: “The billionaire co-owner of AIRBNB is now a part of DOGE. BOYCOTT! Do not book any stays at AIRBNB properties! Shut it down! I can GUARANTEE that most of their clients are DEMOCRATS! Use your POWER!”
On TikTok, the account dayandpj shared a screenshot if the announcement that Gebbia would be joining DOGE, with the text overlay: “Are we boycotting Airbnb?” The video has over 13,000 views at the time of reporting.
Social media users have also shared screenshots of them deactivating their Airbnb accounts.
Though there has been pronounced backlash to Airbnb, there is support for DOGE in the U.S. A Reuters/Ipsos poll indicated that 61 percent of U.S. adults support President Donald Trump‘s plan to downsize the federal government through the DOGE.
Gebbia serves as a board member at Musk’s Tesla and has frequently expressed support for Musk’s business ventures. His political stance has shifted as of late and after supporting Democratic candidates, Gebbia announced on X last month that he voted Republican in the 2024 election.
What People Are Saying
A spokesperson for Airbnb, in an email shared with Newsweek: “Joe serves on Airbnb’s Board of Directors, but he has not been involved in day-to-day operations since he stepped down in 2022. Airbnb has always been about more than the viewpoint of any one person, our community is made up of millions of hosts and hundreds of millions of guests from all walks of life.”
What’s Next
Backlash to Gebbia’s involvement with DOGE has been swift. How both his involvement in DOGE and the impact of the Airbnb boycott will play out, remains to be seen.
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