Airbnb has a new 'anti-party' technology to spot possible troublemakers

Airbnb has a new system to identify possible rule-breakers at the time of booking. (Representational image),

Airbnb has rolled out new technology in the United States and Canada to prevent unauthorised parties at its properties. It will help the vacation rentals company spot "high-risk reservations" and block them from making bookings.

Airbnb had in June announced a permanent ban on parties at its rental locations. The company began its crackdown on parties in 2019 after a fatal incident of shooting in California.

Now, it has rolled out new tools to enforce its no-party policy. Airbnb's new technology will look at factors like "history of positive reviews (or lack of positive reviews), length of time the guest has been on Airbnb, length of the trip, distance to the listing, weekend vs. weekday" before confirming bookings.

"This anti-party technology is designed to prevent a reservation attempt from going through," the company said in a statement on August 16, adding that its aim was to keep in check parties that could negatively impact its hosts and the communities where it operates.

Airbnb is bringing the new technology to the US and Canada after testing and implementing it in Australia.

The company said the tools proved to be"very effective" in Australia.

" We have seen a 35 percent drop in incidents of unauthorized parties in the areas of Australia where this pilot has been in effect, the company said. "We are hoping for similar success as we begin testing this in the US and Canada."

There has been an increase in the number of gatherings hosted at Airbnb locations as parties shifted from clubs to rented homes due to Covid-related restrictions.

That had led Airbnb to temporarily ban parties in 2020.