"Airbnb to Share China Data with Local Officials", 2 Nov 2016

Online homestay specialist Airbnb said it will provide some data on its users in China to local officials, following other high-tech names like Apple Inc. and LinkedIn that have surrendered individuals' personal information to satisfy Beijing's national security concerns.

As it prepares to launch its China-based peer-to-peer service on Dec. 7, Airbnb also said it will store within the country the data it has on users of its China-based services, according to a series of statements on its blog and in an updated notice of changes to its privacy policy…

Beijing requires that all providers of China-based services store data on their users within the country, giving it jurisdiction to request such information when it deems necessary. Travelers in China already need to register with their identity cards or passports whenever they stay at hotels, making their movements traceable by authorities…

When LinkedIn first launched a China service two years ago, it issued a lengthy statement explaining a move that would require it to self-censor its site for sensitive information on the service in accordance with China's strict censorship laws. Around the same time, Apple also reportedly agreed to host information from its China-based users on servers inside China.