We have all heard rumours of people who had access to copies of ID-card, and who sold copies of these to criminals, who then used these for identity theft. It is really hard to prosecute such a case, because the leak could have come from a different source.

We see again and again that data leaks from companies - some by carelessness, others by criminals (just one example: [Ashley Madison](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashley_Madison_data_breach)), and that you should therefore never trust a company with any information that you would feel uncomfortable if criminals got hold of.

It seems Airbnb is pushing hard to get users to upload a copy of their ID-card. Exactly the kind of information that can be used for identity theft; and with the number of users they have, they will be a very juicy target for criminals, who want to do identity theft.

I believe it ought to be sufficient that they have my credit card details: If I damage rented property, this information should be enough to be either charge me directly or (in case of a crime) hand the information to the police. So I really do not feel like risking getting my identity stolen - just to rent an apartment; and it seems competitors like Agoda do not require it.

Is there a way to use Airbnb without having to upload this information?

*Edit:*

I have no problem trusting a company booking on my behalf, heck I even accept they have my credit card details; because if they mess up, then worst case I will not have a booking and I will have to deal with my bank to get the charges reversed and have my credit card cancelled. It is *way* worse if a criminal can use my identity for any purpose online for as long as the ID-card is valid, because I may not discover the abuse until much later. To me trust is a spectrum - not a switch where you can only trust a company 0% or 100%.