May 15, 2020 - Technology

Airbnb and Lyft make key hires amid coronavirus pandemic

Photo: Mario Tama/Getty Images

As they hope to weather the coronavirus crisis despite severe dips in business, Airbnb and Lyft have both made new hires focused on safety and community.

Driving the news: Airbnb announced yesterday it has hired AppleCare chief Tara Bunch as its new head of global operations, while Lyft recently brought on Jennifer Brandenburger as its first director of community safety.

Bunch will oversee Airbnb's customer service, trust and safety, and payments, and will report to CEO Brian Chesky. She is taking over some of the responsibilities of former chief operating officer Belinda Johnson, who left late last year.
Brandenburger, who spent several years at Lyft before a brief recent stint at Airbnb, will report to chief policy officer (and ex-Transportation secretary) Anthony Foxx. She will lead the company's new Safety Advisory Council and initially focus on COVID-19-related safety issues.

Between the lines: The coronavirus pandemic has raised the stakes when it comes to making customers feel safe and comfortable. Sharing economy companies, such as Airbnb and Lyft, will have to find ways to convince customers their services are safe, while not imposing such severe standards on hosts and drivers that they abandon work.

Go deeper

Margaret Harding McGill

2 mins ago - Technology

As techlash heats up again, here's who's stoking the fire

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

As controversies around online speech rage against a backdrop of racial tension, presidential provocation and a pandemic, a handful of companies, lawmakers and advocacy groups have continued to promote a backlash against Big Tech.

The big picture: Companies like Facebook and Google got a reputational boost at the start of the coronavirus lockdown, but that respite from criticism proved brief. They're now once again walking a minefield of regulatory investigations, public criticism and legislative threats over antitrust concerns, content moderation and privacy concerns.

Go deeper (3 min. read)

Joann Muller

32 mins ago - Economy & Business

Cities are retooling public transit to lure riders back

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

After being told for months to stay away from others, the idea of being shoulder to shoulder again in a bus or subway terrifies many people, requiring sweeping changes to public transit systems for the COVID-19 era.

Why it matters: Cities can't come close to resuming normal economic activity until large numbers of people feel comfortable using public transportation.

Go deeper (2 min. read)

Stef W. Kight, Sam Baker

1 hour ago - Politics & Policy

The policies that could help fix policing

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

George Floyd's death has reignited the long and frustrating push to reform a law enforcement system whose systemic flaws have been visible for years.

Why it matters: Solving these problems will require deep political, structural and cultural changes, experts and advocates say — but they also point to a handful of specific policy changes that, while not a cure, would make a difference.

Go deeper (2 min. read)