#Nextdoor to alert users before they post something racist

Are you sure you want to be the Karen of Nextdoor?

The neighborhood-specific social platform has launched a feature — the “anti-racism notification” — that asks users to think again about posting content that the app deems offensive.

Rolling out this week on web, iOS and Android, the app will give individual users the chance to edit their words before they post them — though the feature does nothing to prevent the publication of the posts themselves.

“Healthy and productive conversations are key to helping neighbors create stronger, kinder neighborhoods,” the app said in a blog post announcing the launch.

In 2019, Nextdoor debuted the “Kindness Reminder,” which set out to find offensive or hurtful language in replies to users’ posts and also asks users to edit before they make the comments go live. The app said that it has resulted in a 30% reduction in “uncivil content.”

Regarding the anti-racism notification: An example of words and phrases that Nextdoor considers offensive include “All Lives Matter” and “Blue Lives Matter,” both of which are already regulated.

“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,” the release says. “Support for White Lives Matter is prohibited on Nextdoor, as it is most commonly associated with white supremacist groups.”

In a sense, it’s a warning to ensure users know that they may be in violation of Nextdoor’s discrimination policy.

“Conversations on racial justice can be difficult, and they have a profound impact on our neighborhoods,” the blog post reads. “Nextdoor exists to foster these important conversations in a civil, respectful way.”