Product news

Nextdoor launches anti-racism notification to prevent discriminatory language

Written by Team Nextdoor

The notification detects potentially racist content and prompts neighbors to reconsider and edit before posting.

Our latest product update takes its inspiration from our most important source: our real-world neighborhoods. While we’ve always seen and celebrated the offline connections that began on the platform, Nextdoor continues to be a leading innovator on improving the daily issues affecting the people in those communities online, too. As part of that work, today we are rolling out the anti-racism notification to prevent language that could be offensive or hurtful to people of all backgrounds. Healthy and productive conversations are key to helping neighbors create stronger, kinder neighborhoods.  

The new anti-racism notification detects certain phrases such as “All Lives Matter” or “Blue Lives Matter,” and prompts the author to consider editing their post or comment before it goes live. The anti-racism notification does not prevent a neighbor from publishing, but aims to make people aware of language that may violate our policy against discrimination and the harm that can be caused by the use of these phrases. As a reminder, All Lives Matter and Blue Lives Matter content is explicitly prohibited on Nextdoor when used to undermine racial equality or the Black Lives Matter movement. Support for White Lives Matter is prohibited on Nextdoor, as it is most commonly associated with white supremacist groups.

We made this change in light of our ongoing anti-racism work to make Nextdoor a platform where everyone belongs. Since 2015, we have partnered with racial justice experts to ensure that Nextdoor is a welcoming environment for all neighbors.  In 2019, we announced the Kindness Reminder, a first of its kind feature that detects offensive language and encourages neighbors to edit before posting. That prompt has resulted in a 30% reduction in incivil content. Today, we are taking this one step further with the launch of the anti-racism notification that detects language that could be specifically discriminatory to people of color. 

With these next steps we continue to break the rules of something they tell you not to do when building a platform – adding friction to encourage people to slow down and be more thoughtful. While this could lead to some members refraining from posting, a dip in engagement is something we’re willing to trade for stronger connections and more productive conversations among neighbors with whom you may share a sidewalk or footpath. It’s important to note that the majority of interactions on Nextdoor exemplify the community we want to build and the neighborhoods we want to live in, and that’s something we are continuing to invest in. 

Conversations on racial justice can be difficult, and they have a profound impact on our neighborhoods. Nextdoor exists to foster these important conversations in a civil, respectful way. To that end, we have provided tips to talk about race along with a comprehensive anti-racism resource hub if you would like to learn more and take action.

The anti-racism notification will be rolling out in the U.S. this week on web, iOS, and Android. For more information, please visit our help center.


To connect with your local neighborhood, please login at nextdoor.com.

Pin It on Pinterest

Shares
Share This
Theme is edited