Regular users of the social media platform Nextdoor.com know the perks of what the neighborhood-specific program offers: a free and easy way to rid yourself of unwanted Ikea furniture and other household items, find someone to do odd jobs on-the-cheap, post and hear about upcoming local events, get referrals for various contractors, receive alerts about neighborhood safety issues, be in the know about the numerous “free range” dogs on the loose in the ‘hood, and more.
There are a few known downsides: an overabundance of daily emails (mostly remedied by adjusting your settings) and Nextdoor’s role as a forum for complaints about suspicious behavior—real or otherwise—which sometimes appear to be based on the bias of the person posting. Also, questions arise occasionally about what Nextdoor does with all the information they collect. Just how safe IS your personal data?
Fears of potential privacy abuse aside, Nextdoor’s key attributes are that it provides a community-building forum through a heightened awareness of neighborhood events, activities, and opportunities—and largely respectful discussion. Our BWNA newsletter team, however, thought residents would be interested to know more about Nextdoor, so I embarked upon a little sleuthing. The information that follows was provided by the company’s Director of Local Media Relations, Jen Burke, in response to written questions.
Of note: Burke cancelled a video conference interview 30 minutes prior to the scheduled time, and shortly after I sent my questions, which were requested in advance. Some questions pertained to privacy-related issues. “Dashing out due to a sick child” was the excuse for the cancellation, but rescheduling was not an option. Make of it what you will.
Background
Nextdoor was founded in the fall of 2010 and officially launched in the United States in October 2011, then internationally in early 2016. It now operates in the U.S., the Netherlands, the U.K., Germany, and France. The privately held company, headquartered in San Francisco, employs over 200 people located around the globe.
Participation Rates
Nextdoor is used by more than 170,000 neighborhoods nationwide, representing over 85 percent of U.S. neighborhoods. In the greater Portland area there are more than 1,510 neighborhoods connecting on Nextdoor every day. In Beaumont-Wilshire, 60 percent of households are on Nextdoor. The company does not divulge the number of users on its platform.
Money and Privacy
Nextdoor is backed by investors, including Benchmark, Greylock Partners, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Tiger Global Management, Shasta Ventures, Comcast Ventures, DAG Ventures, Bezos Expeditions, A-Grade Investments, Google Ventures, and Allen & Company. Additionally, Nextdoor has also begun generating revenue through sponsored posts (advertising) and its real estate platform.
When asked if it sells member data, Burke assured me it does not. Users should, however, be aware that according to Nextdoor’s privacy policy, located on its website, “…if you use Facebook to register for or log in to Nextdoor (or later connect your accounts), you authorize Facebook to share your personal information with Nextdoor, including your email address and publicly available information about you and your Facebook friends.”
The website also states that Nextdoor “…may also share aggregated or de-identified information with companies we do business with, including our advertisers (in the U.S. or where available) as well as government agency members or other organizational members.”
Combatting Divisive Conversation
Nextdoor users know that conversations sometimes get, well, downright un-neighborly. When asked if Nextdoor steps in at any time to calm things down, Burke said, “No, Nextdoor neighborhoods are self-managed, and Nextdoor doesn’t monitor neighborhood conversations.” She added that Neighborhood Leads have the ability to remove messages that violate Nextdoor’s community guidelines, and there are some tools to help keep conversations neighborly and productive. And any member can flag content and also contact Nextdoor’s support team to discuss an issue in their neighborhood.
While a real-time interview might have revealed more than what has been reported in this article, suffice it to say that there is no “free” social media app—i.e., your data, interests, and concerns are aggregated for the purpose of targeted advertising. And Nextdoor makes no guarantee that it can keep your personal data safe (also noted in the company’s privacy policy). There’s a lot more detail in the company’s privacy policy, so my recommendation is that users spend a few minutes reading it. Visit nextdoor.com/privacy_policy for more information.
Meanwhile, the urge might strike you to explore the antics of pets and people found on the social media site. Did Doug the dog ever find his way home, for example, and is the woman who recently posted Everything is Fine Today still fine? Inquiring minds want to know; hence, the reason many of us are on Nextdoor!