Airbnb Fined $10M for Misleading Australian Customers Over Currency

Company may pay an additional $10M in compensation to affected users, following a ruling for violating Australian consumer law.

Airbnb has been fined $10 million by an Australian court for misleading customers about the currency used for transactions.
The company admitted to presenting prices for local accommodations in U.S. dollars as Australian dollars, affecting approximately 63,000 customers between January 2018 and August 2021.
In addition to the fine, Airbnb is liable to compensate the affected users, potentially disbursing an additional $10 million.
The case was prosecuted by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, stressing the importance of digital platforms complying with Australian Consumer Law.
Airbnb has since amended its platform to denote prices in U.S. dollars with the 'USD' abbreviation.