Segregation is alive and thriving in the 21st century. It’s not surprising, what with digital redlining being misused and abused by white people. Just imagine, neighborhood watch social communication app that everyone in the neighborhood uses to talk about each others’ movements. Does that not sound like a recipe for privacy invasion? Does the idea of constant surveillance not bring up images of discrimination and alienation?
Technology is often used as a weapon of mass destruction against marginalized communities. Surveillance is one of many motives behind this course of action. Artificial Intelligence technology, such as facial recognition, often puts black people in danger of being arrested and detained for crimes they aren’t guilty of. Computer scientist and digital activist Joy Buolamwini is one of many who fights against these technological racial profiling. But there’s a lot about digital redlining that raises concerns for black people.
The idea that anyone of your neighbors can put your personal business in front of the public eye at any time is concerning. The invasion of privacy is a serious fear for many. So the idea of a Neighborhood Watch app like Nextdoor comes off as a way to control the population of a neighborhood. White people live with ingrained beliefs of the predatory black man and rambunctious black teenager inside of their minds. We see examples of racism in the way residents are instantly wary of black people simply being nearby, even if the black residents are doing the same things everyone else is like bicycling, jogging, playing soccer, or simply hanging out on their lawns. Digital Redlining: The Nextdoor App and the Neighborhood of Make-Believe by Katie Lambright emphasizes examples of this: Two instances of Nextdoor users telling their social circles to be wary of African-American young men simply walking or bicycling around the neighborhood. There are no instances of the black men acting out or harassing anyone, no one is holding weapons or flipping anyone off.
The first private social network for a neighborhood wouldn’t do much if the neighborhood in question is a racist majority-white neighborhood. Bonus points if said neighborhood is a breeding ground for gentrification, with only wealthy people being able to afford housing. The picket fences in such a neighborhood symbolizes the subliminal classism and segregation that is upheld in middle-class suburban environments.
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