Airbnb's data shows that Airbnb helps the middle class. But does it?

Panel at Democratic convention reveals tech firm's savvy PR operation, in the face of increased scrutiny over its effect on affordable housing

Airbnb and Uber pitched the "sharing economy" as a key antidote to wage stagnation and inequality at the Democratic national convention with a campaign that critics say reflects the technology corporations' pattern of deploying questionable data in its political battles.

Coinciding with its panel discussion on Tuesday, the popular home-sharing startup also released results of a survey it commissioned, which claimed that 74% of millennials have a "favorable" impression of the sharing economy and that 81% "want Airbnb to be legal".