by Katie Wedell - USA Today

Bethany Hallam has made no secret about her past struggles with drug addiction. She ran for her seat on the Allegheny County Council in Pennsylvania on a platform of improving the county's jail and public transportation system because she'd spent time in that jail and lost her driver's license for a time.

So, she was confused in September when she attempted to book a short-term stay in Florida through Airbnb – something she'd successfully done many times in the last six years – only to have her reservation canceled and her account banned because of a past criminal conviction discovered on a background check.