Delusive Speech in the Sharing Economy: Scam Inc.

In this examination of how the rise of online sharing economy platforms has facilitated online crime, this book shows how, while marketed as trustworthy peer-to-peer services, these platforms are highly vulnerable to misuse by scammers and are used for the dissemination of delusive speech.

The analysis centres around the concept of delusive speech, a sub-set of disinformation, designed to deceive and motivate by criminal intent. Looking beyond the economic and disruptive impacts of sharing economy platforms like Uber, Airbnb, and others, this book situates these Big Tech giants as mass communication channels that are frequently misused by bad actors to distribute dangerous content globally. Drawing from over 600 cases of victims lured into scams or physical danger via misleading Airbnb listings, the book provides a detailed case study exposing Airbnb’s failure to establish legitimate safety measures despite branding its platform as a ’community of trust’. Incorporating netnography and thematic analysis, the author theorises the deceptive semiotic structure of delusive speech and evaluates practical mechanisms Airbnb could employ to prevent scams and crime on its platform.

With a global audience including researchers in communication and media studies, digital media, and media industries, as well as tech journalists, Silicon Valley critics, policymakers, and digital rights advocates, this book unmasks how sharing economy giants like Airbnb contribute to an epidemic of online deception causing real-world harm.

Julie Reid is Professor of Communication Science, and specialises in media studies, audience research, and the study of digital technologies. She is based at the Department of Communication Science at the University of South Africa (Unisa). As a long-time activist for social justice related to communication rights, she has published widely on the topics of media regulation, media politics, and the issues of freedom of expression and media diversity. She is the editor and co-author of the books Looking at media: an introduction to visual studies (2013), New concepts in media diversity. A view from South Africa (2020) and the co-author of Tell Our Story. Multiplying voices in the news media (2020).