Judge blocks NY's inquiry into Airbnb

[NEW YORK] New York's investigation into whether Airbnb Inc allows users to run illegal hotels hit a setback when a judge ruled that a request for information about the service's rental home providers was too broad.

Acting Supreme Court Justice Gerald Connolly in Albany on Tuesday voided a subpoena from New York Attorney-General Eric Schneiderman, saying that the demand for information identifying all hosts in New York, including their names and addresses, "seeks materials that are irrelevant to the inquiry".

The San Francisco-based firm lets users rent out a couch, bedroom or house, and makes money by charging a fee for each transaction. With listings in about 34,000 cities around the world, the company is said to be valued at US$10 billion under a financing deal with TPG Capital.