Social Media Comparison

Neighbourhood Alert is a secure police communication system operating under a strict Data Processing Agreement, ensuring compliance with UK-hosted GDPR standards. It is funded through paid police licenses, prioritizing controlled data use. In contrast, Nextdoor is a social media platform with a free-to-use model, generating revenue through data-driven advertising and partnerships, reflecting its multi-billion-dollar valuation. While both facilitate community engagement, their data governance and financial structures differ significantly.

A summary of outcomes from a public perspective

(based on 135,835 responses in October 2024)

  • 56% DO NOT follow their local police on SOCIAL MEDIA.​
  • 91% Tend to TRUST direct messages compared to >31% on social media​
  • 30% TRUST the police A LOT, but 2% do NOT AT ALL.​
  • 49% have either TAKEN ACTION or the messages HAVE HELPED PREVENT them from becoming a VICTIM OF CRIME.​
  • 22% said their CONFIDENCE that the police LISTEN TO and UNDERSTAND their CONCERNS has INCREASED since joining the Neighbourhood Alert platform.​

The vital small print regarding:​ Data Ownership, Usage, and Disaster Recovery Terms​

  1. Data Ownership & Control
    • The police client retains full ownership of all data they input into the system.​
    • Data contributed by other agencies remains jointly owned, subject to user opt-in for data sharing with police.​
    • Individual users consent to their data being securely stored within the system but have not agreed to its use outside the platform.
  2. Permitted Use of Data
    • The police client may access and analyse their own data for reporting, strategic planning, and diversity analysis.​
    • The extracted data must not be used to communicate with users, shared with third parties, or transferred to alternative systems, except in accordance with the agreed-upon Disaster Recovery (DR) plan.​
    • Work to Police Data Processing Agreements (DPAs).
  3. Disaster Recovery Contingency
    • To ensure business continuity, the police client may download a secure, encrypted copy of their owned data monthly.​
    • This backup is strictly for analytical use and to support the DR plan in case of permanent system failure, insolvency, or service discontinuation.​
    • The police client may only activate and use this backup in line with the Disaster Recovery process, and any further use would require explicit user re-consent.
  4. Security & Compliance
    • All downloaded data must be stored in a secure, access-controlled environment compliant with data protection laws.​
    • Any data misuse outside the permitted scope would constitute a breach of user consent and data protection obligations.