Making a photocopy of an ID is in my opinion not a finest example of the 21st century technology.
One option to have a proof of identity without an actual in person visit is to use a trusted third party (what has verified the person in person). This could be a state (if it provides such service) or a private institution (a Bank for example).
Otherwise you can use old and proved method of trust. I understand that of course for a service like airbnb this might not be enough and this is also the reason why I probably would not use them in the future.
One option to have a proof of identity without an actual in person visit is to use a trusted third party (what has verified the person in person). This could be a state (if it provides such service) or a private institution (a Bank for example).
Otherwise you can use old and proved method of trust. I understand that of course for a service like airbnb this might not be enough and this is also the reason why I probably would not use them in the future.