In summer 2019, Airbnb's newly hired Chief Trust Officer Sean Joyce (a former FBI deputy director) raised concerns with CEO Brian Chesky and co-founder Nathan Blecharczyk, then Chief Strategy Officer and Chairman of Airbnb China, that a Chinese government request for expanded, near-real-time user data sharing could enable government surveillance of minority groups, particularly Uighurs. According to WSJ reporting, Blecharczyk responded that Airbnb was 'not here to promote American values.' Joyce resigned from the company within months, citing a 'difference in values.' Airbnb has said it does not share real-time booking data with Chinese authorities and has disclosed since 2016 that it shares some user data (phone numbers, emails, messages) with Chinese authorities as required by local law.
person
Nathan Blecharczyk
Chief Strategy Officer Airbnb
Co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Airbnb. Built Airbnb's original website and payment system. Previously served as CTO until 2019.
Track Record
+
Nathan and Elizabeth Blecharczyk signed the Giving Pledge, committing majority of personal wealth to philanthropy
Jun 1, 2016On June 1, 2016, Airbnb co-founder Nathan Blecharczyk and his wife Elizabeth signed the Giving Pledge, the Warren Buffett/Bill and Melinda Gates initiative in which billionaires commit to give away the majority of their wealth over their lifetimes. In their pledge letter, the Blecharczyks wrote they felt 'a responsibility to share our good fortune' and identified focus areas including 'the potential of children' and 'transformative ideas.' This is a personal wealth commitment distinct from any Airbnb corporate philanthropy program.