Skift Take
This isn't about the sharing, it's about the commerce.
This weekend Peers, the lobbying group affiliated with over three dozen sharing economy companies in Silicon Valley, began a petition to "Legalize Sharing: Save Airbnb in New York." The initial goal of Peers' petition was to get 20,000 names in support of a movement to legalize sharing by Airbnb and similar services, but Peers easily captured over 21,000 names in the petition's first three days. They've since reset their goal to 30,000 names, and at some point they will present the names to the New York State legislature.
The petition was prompted by a subpoena that New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman issued last week to Airbnb requesting user records. Airbnb is fighting the subpoena.
The Peers petition's public face is Mishelle, a military veteran who writes that she came to New York City to finish a college degree. She is making ends meet by renting out a room in her Williamsburg apartment.
Read more about what collaborative consumption and the sharing economy mean to the future of travel.
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