The hyperlocal social media site Nextdoor was created to connect neighbors. But is it actually spying on people while they spy on each other?
Thinking about the hyperlocal social media app Nextdoor, I can’t get that Rockwell/Michael Jackson song out of my head. You know the one: “I always feel like/Somebody’s watching meeeeeee.” That’s because if you’re on Nextdoor, you know that most of it is neighbors ratting each other out for perceived antisocial behavior at best, and criminal activity at worst.
Nextdoor was founded in 2011 with the goal of connecting neighbors. It’s a righteous and somewhat meta goal: We’re all online more than ever, which means we might not know our neighbors, which means maybe we need to go online for that too. And while the site is undeniably a great resource for buying second hand goods in your neighborhood or connecting with events in your area, there’s no way to deny that much of Nextdoor is just the newest iteration of nosy Neighborhood Watch groups.
Which is all really to say that Nextdoor, like so many tech companies, has had intended and unintended effects. And when it comes to privacy, it’s especially interesting because we’re talking not only about digital privacy, but physical privacy as well. What happens when what the internet knows about me is also what my community knows about me? Let’s take a closer look.
What does Nextdoor track?
Because Nextdoor requires a verified address in order to access your neighborhood portal, they know your address. They also know your name and anything you pos ..
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