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Mutual surveillance on Airbnb

Gössling, Stefan LU ; Larson, Mia LU and Pumputis, Aurimas LU (2021) In Annals of Tourism Research 91.
Abstract

Digital technology affords new means of controlling and managing. The platform economy relies on complex surveillance techniques to analyze, control, and manipulate on the basis of reviews, evaluations, and other volunteered data. This paper conceptualizes mechanisms of surveillance, with a focus on Airbnb. It sets out with a discussion of trust and reputation-building to then analyze the mechanisms employed to control guests and accommodation providers. Findings suggest that communication techniques, technological tools, services, and policies form a surveillant assemblage. Mutual evaluations are engineered as mechanisms supportive of trust. The article contributes to the discussion of emerging complexities of these forms of control,... (More)

Digital technology affords new means of controlling and managing. The platform economy relies on complex surveillance techniques to analyze, control, and manipulate on the basis of reviews, evaluations, and other volunteered data. This paper conceptualizes mechanisms of surveillance, with a focus on Airbnb. It sets out with a discussion of trust and reputation-building to then analyze the mechanisms employed to control guests and accommodation providers. Findings suggest that communication techniques, technological tools, services, and policies form a surveillant assemblage. Mutual evaluations are engineered as mechanisms supportive of trust. The article contributes to the discussion of emerging complexities of these forms of control, in tourism and for society more generally.

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Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Airbnb, Online reviews, Reputation, Sharing platforms, Surveillance, Trust
in
Annals of Tourism Research
volume
91
article number
103314
publisher
Pergamon Press Ltd.
external identifiers
  • scopus:85116525947
ISSN
0160-7383
DOI
10.1016/j.annals.2021.103314
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
Publisher Copyright: © 2021 The Authors
id
c1e00707-ef4a-4e89-86e2-71eb72974f8e
date added to LUP
2021-10-22 10:29:53
date last changed
2023-01-01 17:17:03
@article{c1e00707-ef4a-4e89-86e2-71eb72974f8e,
  abstract     = {{<p>Digital technology affords new means of controlling and managing. The platform economy relies on complex surveillance techniques to analyze, control, and manipulate on the basis of reviews, evaluations, and other volunteered data. This paper conceptualizes mechanisms of surveillance, with a focus on Airbnb. It sets out with a discussion of trust and reputation-building to then analyze the mechanisms employed to control guests and accommodation providers. Findings suggest that communication techniques, technological tools, services, and policies form a surveillant assemblage. Mutual evaluations are engineered as mechanisms supportive of trust. The article contributes to the discussion of emerging complexities of these forms of control, in tourism and for society more generally.</p>}},
  author       = {{Gössling, Stefan and Larson, Mia and Pumputis, Aurimas}},
  issn         = {{0160-7383}},
  keywords     = {{Airbnb; Online reviews; Reputation; Sharing platforms; Surveillance; Trust}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{Pergamon Press Ltd.}},
  series       = {{Annals of Tourism Research}},
  title        = {{Mutual surveillance on Airbnb}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.annals.2021.103314}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.annals.2021.103314}},
  volume       = {{91}},
  year         = {{2021}},
}