Airbnb refuses to hand over data to the broad sweep of the Attorney General's demands. (Airbnb)
ALBANY, N.Y. – The short-term rental site Airbnb has moved to block a subpoena from New York's attorney general seeking information about some of its users.
The San Francisco company says the demand by Attorney General Eric Schneiderman for data on its "hosts" in New York and their tax information is an "unfounded fishing expedition" that would invade the privacy of people who rent out their properties through the site.
Airbnb says it had been told by Schneiderman's office it's focusing in part on whether hosts are paying required hotel taxes.
Airbnb also says the subpoena is overly broad and it would be difficult to provide the hundreds of thousands of records. The motion to quash the Oct. 4 subpoena was filed Wednesday in Albany.
A spokesman for Schneiderman said the company is "wrong on the merits."
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