We accept: the constitution of Airbnb. (1st October 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Sheffi, Nofar
• Is Part Of: Transnational legal theory. Volume 11:Number 4(2020)
• Page Start: 484
• Page End: 520
• Publication Date: 2020-10-01
• Subjects: Airbnb -- constitution -- social contracts -- standard forms -- Terms of Service agreements; International law -- Periodicals; Comparative law -- Periodicals; Conflict of laws -- Periodicals; Jurisprudence -- Periodicals; 341
• DOI: 10.1080/20414005.2020.1859254
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2041-4013

Abstract

ABSTRACT: This paper investigates the transformation of Airbnb as a platform for a more general reflection on the technological and technical constitution of domains, political platforms, and subjectivities. Part I explores the various (juridical and digital) technologies and techniques employed by the service provider to 'fight discrimination and bias', as well as to encode a world where everyone can 'Belong Anywhere'. Part II draws on social systems theory and Gunther Teubner's societal constitutionalism, rethinking the processes analysed in Part I in terms of auto-constitutionalisation. The auto-constitutionalisation of Airbnb, Part III suggests, instantiates the emergence of a new grammar of political action, epitomised by the Airbnb Terms of Service agreement, and a new generalisable mode of subjectivation: the standard formation of subjects.