Warning - Nextdoor App

CKhalvashi

I've posted this on a local Facebook group to me, but did want to post it here too to raise awareness.

Just a friendly notice for anyone who has received an invite for an app called Nextdoor, it looks like a data harvesting company.

A relative signed up to this believing it was akin to a Neighbourhood Watch service, however there is no way to delete the account and stop this company from processing the data, as the options on the website to contact Support to do so send them around in circles (I can confirm this as I've tried to do it).

In addition, despite having raised over $400m in funding, they haven't bothered to register with the ICO as legally required, ensuring your data likely won't be treated with the respect and privacy it deserves. I have reported this so hopefully it's acted on at speed.

Please be careful of companies you are referring people to and signing up to in future.

NBLondon

Is this somebody pretending to be Nextdoor - https://nextdoor.co.uk/  the social media site?  or an issue with their app?

CKhalvashi

NBLondon said:

Is this somebody pretending to be Nextdoor - https://nextdoor.co.uk/  the social media site?  or an issue with their app?

It's someone who has received a letter, and has joined thinking it's a neighbourhood watch-style site, now attempting to delete their account (and the provided data) after realising that it's just a site for snitching on others. I will note that the letter seems very carefully worded to give this impression, and I have received them in the past but haven't signed up as I don't see what can be there that isn't on our local (and very active) Facebook group.

The 'help' page is just sending the person in question round in circles, with a 'read full article' page regarding account deletion, followed by a link to contact support, which is going to the page the 'read full article' link is situated, leaving no way to contact them. I have also attempted this on my laptop and have had the same issues.

In addition, the company behind them is not registered as a data controller with the ICO as legally required, as has been confirmed on their website and with a phone call as I needed to call the ICO today in relation to something else.

The entire setup therefore looks extremely shady, as does the background of the company in question. I have, however, sent them a Tweet, but I don't expect a response.

robatwork

I've found Nextdoor a useful source of recommendations for local tradesmen and not noticed any spam from their direction.

You're not correct about going round in circles - while I agree that the first link you see after searching "close account" does take you to a help page with all the reasons Nextdoor should be in your life, you just need to click Contact Us here 





and then you can submit a delete account request. 

CKhalvashi

Thanks Rob, I take a look in the morning as I've just got to bed and have a client call at 5am UK time.

We both have indeed missed that part, so thanks for pointing it out.

Your local site may be active and useful, but ours doesn't seem so. I don't see any benefit over our local Facebook groups or anything that is particularly out of the box in thinking, and indeed our local NW coordinator has been warned against using the site and has raised the GDPR issues previously.

I have no objection to a business acting for their members, however they shouldn't be sending unsolicited marketing claiming to be from neighbours (which in this case is to an address registered on the MPS, the neighbour had no knowledge of these letters being sent) and also should be registered as a Data Controller, especially when they are in the business they're in.

robatwork

I've seen lots of reports of Nextdoor being a bit "dodgy" and from long-term trusted contributors like yourself I do give them some weight. I can only speak for myself in that my local area FB group is infested with non-locals, trolls and *some* useful advice. I think Nextdoor's way of verifying makes it a bit more trustworthy and as I say I have found a couple of recommended tradesmen through it when I moved into a new area. 

I also found a fantastic plasterer from FB so it's a bit of a lottery. 

Do you speak Serbian btw?

NBLondon

CKhalvashi said:

I have no objection to a business acting for their members, however they shouldn't be sending unsolicited marketing claiming to be from neighbours (which in this case is to an address registered on the MPS, the neighbour had no knowledge of these letters being sent) and also should be registered as a Data Controller, especially when they are in the business they're in.

That bit is decidedly iffy...  Does it claim to come from a specific neighbour who is already on Nextdoor?  without that neighbour agreeing?

CKhalvashi

robatwork said:

I've seen lots of reports of Nextdoor being a bit "dodgy" and from long-term trusted contributors like yourself I do give them some weight. I can only speak for myself in that my local area FB group is infested with non-locals, trolls and *some* useful advice. I think Nextdoor's way of verifying makes it a bit more trustworthy and as I say I have found a couple of recommended tradesmen through it when I moved into a new area. 

I also found a fantastic plasterer from FB so it's a bit of a lottery. 

Do you speak Serbian btw?

I completely agree, this is a little strange, but apart from not going through the legal formalities and issues with their marketing strategy, there's nothing to suggest they're not a legitimate business deep down.

We have 3-4 local Facebook groups, I try to stay away from one of them, but the others are completely fine. As with all tradespeople, word of mouth is important. My brother is in construction so I'm lucky enough to be able to ask him for contacts in any event. I appreciate most aren't in that position.

Your suggestion last night worked perfectly, so thanks for that! The 'contact our team' link is naturally where it is to make it as difficult as possible I believe, as I'd clicked that and hadn't seen the 'contact us' below it.

You're the first person who worked out that's Serbian in my signature. I contracted for a Serbian company for about a month a year for a few years, so have picked up some of the language.

NBLondon said:

CKhalvashi said:

I have no objection to a business acting for their members, however they shouldn't be sending unsolicited marketing claiming to be from neighbours (which in this case is to an address registered on the MPS, the neighbour had no knowledge of these letters being sent) and also should be registered as a Data Controller, especially when they are in the business they're in.

That bit is decidedly iffy...  Does it claim to come from a specific neighbour who is already on Nextdoor?  without that neighbour agreeing?

I'll post up a slightly redacted version of the letter probably tomorrow. It's named and names the street name, however the only person it could reasonably be (who admits she signed up to the site to see what it was) claims to have no knowledge of this.

They seem to be doing the rounds in other areas with local streets too, including a neighbouring hamlet who discussed it in their Whatsapp group and came to roughly the same conclusions I'd arrived at, just without the.research.

From the feedback I've received, there seems to be a 50/50 split between those from larger areas saying many people are using it and those from smaller areas saying it adds little to no value.

Mnoee

Nextdoor has an option to invite your neighbours to join. I'd put money on the person who has no knowledge of this clicking 'yes' to this without reading or similar.

My local group isn't very active, but it's helped to find a few lost cats. Can't see the harm in it, personally. 

MobileSaver

Mnoee said:

Nextdoor has an option to invite your neighbours to join. I'd put money on the person who has no knowledge of this clicking 'yes' to this without reading or similar.

My local group isn't very active, but it's helped to find a few lost cats. Can't see the harm in it, personally. 

+1 it will almost certainly be an existing neighbour clicking on the "invite my neighbours" button.

Nextdoor is popular in my area in rural Wales for people to keep in touch without all the Facebook bloat of "look at me" selfies and "viral" cute cat videos, and a lot of people just don't like Facebook full stop.

There's also a certain irony in people calling Nextdoor a "data harvesting company" but then endorsing Facebook which is probably the biggest data harvesting company on the planet!

UnderCanvas

The same invitation letter popped through my letterbox this morning,   I do not recognise the suppoed sender name but I am annoyed at being spammed via Royal Mail.

I hope the letter is a one off and not the first of many.