Listen to the podcast from The American Scandal on the proliferation of online platforms like Nextdoor and Citizen App which have created a new form of mass surveillance, one that threatens local communities.
- Answer the following questions (as many as you can):
- Have you installed an app like Citizen or Neighbors? If yes, what are your thoughts on the app?
- Are you a member of Nexdoor or similar social media sites that are partially oriented towards members posting about crime/disorder in their neighborhood?
- If you are not familiar with these platforms or have not downloaded them, why not? What is preventing you from using these platforms?
- What are the benefits and drawbacks of these online platforms?
- Are you concerned with a greater degree of mass surveillance in the modern age?
Please leave at least three comments. One is your original contribution. And two comments are you replies to your classmates. Deadline: 09/25/22
[…] Discussion Forum 4: Are we inside of the modern Panopticum? […]
[…] Bentham and Cesare Beccaria. All your study materials are in Week 4 unit, and there is a discussion forum. Please make sure to complete your discussion forum participation by the end of the week. Also, […]
I do have the Citizen app and it’s very useful but, I had to uninstall it when I saw my own cousin getting shot on the app and nobody helped him, It was a sad sight. I’m not familiar with nexdoor because I rarely use other apps that’s not like Tiktok or Instagram, but there is a page on Instagram called USACrime and Hood site that shows crimes all over the world or like tragedies and accidents.
I personally feel like these apps are good for the public, it’s good for people to know how the world truly runs, how cruel other people can be to each other.
Mass surveillance shouldn’t be the problem anymore, we have iPhones and Android that literally track our ever movement, voice, face and etc.
In a way I do agree that these apps do make was aware of what’s going on in the world, but then it does make you question the type of things that are being reported. The reports are typically something that is eye catching which makes us want to go back and read more, and last week we learned that crime is going down and these apps makes it seem that crime is going up.
Crime will honestly never seem to go down as the Human population increases, Crime has by far worsen far greater than it was in the 90s.
Hi Heriberto, Am so sorry to hear about your cousin and sometimes these apps become more negative than postive . Instead of using it to do a great good it sometimes become more harmful than expected . and thank you for sharing the IG informatiom .
Hello Heriberto I’m sorry to hear about your cousin. Thank you for sharing the Instagram page I’ll be on a look out for it.
Hey Heriberto,
I am sorry to hear about your cousin. I definitely agree with your choice to uninstall citizens app as that is a traumatizing sight and the trauma is the main reason I have not installed the app myself.
I agree we need these apps to show us crazy the world is getting around us.
Hello Heriberto, I agree with what you said about mass surveillance, as technology grows, the ways that our phones can be used to track us, I believe it is more complex than we know.
Hi Heriberto I am sorry to hear about cousin.
hey Heriberto, I agree that it’s good for people to know what’s really going on as long as they take it with moderation and don’t get put off by such reports. You should take a look at coronavirusny on Instagram they post about all the top crimes happening at least only in NYC.
sorry for your loss, super sad. but I do agree these types of apps are very useful
Wow sorry to hear about what you experienced with regard to your cousin. In this day and age, many people are more concerned with views and like’s that they will literally see someone need help but elect to pull out their phone to record rather than help.
Heriberto, I am so sorry to read about your cousin.
I am so sorry for your lost that must have bee painful to watch. My condolences. I agree it is too invasive. There is no real guidelines as too what is too much or too detailed to post. Ive seen comments that sre disgusting. These apps are good to help people understand that the world is scary and you should watch your surroundings but also too much and too much privacy being exposed.
I do not have the apps citizen or next-door because this is my first-time hearing about these apps. I didn’t even though that they existed. I typically use Instagram, snapchat, or watch the news to get my information. The pros and cons of apps like citizen and next door are that they are a straight source of local news in the community that you are in. It is an automatic alert that keeps you notified. The cons are that it be detrimental when people start mistaking little things as potential danger. An example that the guest speaker gave in the podcast was someone reporting a person if they saw them with an object or tool of some sort in their hands without thinking twice about if the person was coming from work or something and if they are a reasonable danger. Yes, I am concerned with the greater degree of mass surveillance in the modern age because it will make people more distrusting of one another than we already are. More surveillance means more unnecessary run ins with the police and could possibly endanger lives.
Hi Kalia, how are you? The citizen app is very helpful I been using it for a while now . And with crimes rate increasing its very help just to know what is happening .what I like more aabout having this about it focus more on your locations sometimes watching the news is too much information .
“More surveillance means more unnecessary run ins with the the police and could possibly endanger lives.” That is an interesting take that I strongly agree with you on. It’s unfortunate that an unnecessary police stop could lead to a persons death.
i agree with you, certain moves and certain things get mistaken and it can cost a great life.
I feel like there should be a limit to what’s being posted in these apps.
I agree with you, apps like citizen or next door could become dangerous when they’re used incorrectly. Like that example you gave a person could be reporting something on the app that they wasn’t so sure they saw and it could result in the police taking action and putting someone else life in danger.
Kalia, do you think you might download the app, after reading these comments?
Hi everyone, yes I have Installed the Citizen app. This was very helpful to me because I was able to receive information about my neighborhood without going outside. Anyone can post on this app this way you can see more than one point of view like the news channels without the perfect camera light and the complete story. I am not a part of Nextdoor or cities that are partially oriented towards members posting about crime /disorder in their neighborhoods. I do use the Citizen app and I don’t feel the need to have more than one platform. However, it’s very helpful to have just to know more information about your community and what services are provided and how you can benefit from them, or how you can make your community better. One drawback would be the decrease in face-to-face communications instead of posting posters around the neighborhood you would just post on the website, fewer job opportunities if each community report on the crimes that are faced in the community, and they will be no need for news channels or reporters. The benefits of having an app would mean more work being done for the community because every can routine roles on how to improve the environment. The information would travel faster.
Hello Fareeza, I also like having the citizen app and think it’s enough because personally hearing more crimes and endangerment going on would make me scared to go outside if I was constantly looking at more than one platform.
Hello Fareeza, I agree with what you said about the citizen app and how you can get your own personal news that’s nearby you that your normal daily news won’t talk about without having to go outside also.
Hi Fareeza,
I am happy you mention that anyone can post on Citizen app. My only problem with the Citizen app is that sometimes it’s not updated with NYPD data.
I agree with you, Fareeza. The citizens app could become a useful tool for us to communicate with each other as a community and become more aware of what’s happening around us. But like you said it also reduces in person interactions.
Yes, I have the Citizen app and find it very helpful for me to be aware of my surroundings and family members/friends safety.
I have not heard of Nexdoor or any similar social media sites/apps like these. I have not thoughts about joining these because watching crimes frequently makes me feel angry towards the world we live in.
The benefits of these platforms are that it’s a great way to know what’s going on in your community and if there’s gang violence or accidents that have occurred. The drawbacks from this app are paranoia in individuals.
I’m not surprised at all about a greater degree of mass surveillance in modern age because of how much we are tracked every move we do already through technology and easy people can access personal information.
Yeah I also agree citizen app is really helpful and I don’t like joining their sites on the internet either but I always want to know what going on in the world not just in NY.
I also have the citizen app, I feel like it is very accurate and helpful. sometimes social media platforms can share false news
Yeah, I tend to shutout all the bad going on the world because it gives an uneasy feeling about humanity towards me and I don’t like to focus on the bad, but rather the good.
Hey, Ninoska I totally agree with you that having these apps helps to keep us safe when they’re working to the full capacity but it just sucks that some of the information is not relayed or sent out with a delay. I wish there was an app that was linked directly to NYPD that provides real-time information as it comes in.
I do not have Citizens app and I have not heard of the app Nexdoor but have heard of the concept and similar apps. I do not have citizens app because I watch the news daily and I see a portion of what is going on in the city. I feel like something is being reported every minute on citizens app and although it is good to know what’s happening in the neighborhood, it can be overwhelming and traumatizing.
Hello sapphire , i agree yes it can be very overwhelming. But news dont cover as much crime we actually witness in these apps. They pick certain things to talk about and it’s sad, because us and our community need to be informed of every single thing going on.
hey, you should consider citizen app , it’s very helpful
No, I don’t have any of those applications installed and to be honest, I didn’t even know they existed to, but I do have other applications installed such as Instagram and Snapchat where I find out about many things that happen in the world. However, nothing stops me from downloading it so I will do it to take a look and find out more about the crimes that are happening around me.
Before I moved to New York I lived in California and we used neighbors, I like it anyone can see who is at your front or back door before letting someone into your home. Also living in NY I do now use the citizen app that shows everything that happens in different boroughs you can watch live action and you get alerts of anything that happening such as a gas spill, smoke, fire alert, gunshots, etc. I do use social media to help me understand and see what’s going on in the world. The benefits of using these online platforms are you know what to look out for and you know what going on in the world, for example, there is a kidnapper in your neighborhood, and they give you descriptions you know like be aware of our surroundings and you can help family, friends who don’t know to look out for these things and people, a drawback is not knowing and get hurt or accidentally getting hurt or at risks, a life risk is a scary way to live, sometimes people know but it’s hard for them to watch because they been through something. No, I’m not concerned because I think it helps me stay safe and maybe solve a lot of issues, it might be a little scary for someone watching your every move but if it keeps me safe and always on the lookout I don’t have a concern.
I do have the citizen app, neighbors I never heard about, but my thoughts on the citizen app is that its a very good app to be alert of what’s going on in your neighborhood and also around you if you’re not home also. The only app i’m familiar with is only citizen but the other apps il download and see how well they are also. The benefits I see on the citizen app is that someone that is nearby the crime scene can live stream it for others to see it if they’re inside their own home, which is a interesting thing to have on the app. I’m not concerned with the greater degree of mass surveillance because it helps reduce the creation of criminal activities.
Yeah. I’m only familiar with the citizen app as well, I never thought to subscribe to any other platform really because citizen does what it needs to do at the end of day.
1. I do have the citizen app and for the most part it’s a pretty standard app and it does what it was made to do. I don’t have anything outstanding to say about it other than its an app I’d recommend to a family member or friend.
2. No I am not apart of nexdoor or any crime posting group in my neighborhood.
3. I’m not familiar with these platforms and I never really downloaded them because I’m personally not interested in doing so.
4. The benefits of these online platforms would be knowing everything that goes on in your neighborhood and staying up to date on crimes. The downsides could be your privacy being exposed, people knowing who runs the crime system and may begin to target you.
5. No, I’m not concerned with with the greater degree of mass surveillance being exposed because if it means to help take down criminals they might as well keep it going.
I’m aware of the Citizen app, i use this app because it primarily warns me about violent crimes and other issues that are happening nearby while also providing me with useful information about what is actually happening. Although I don’t use social media, I believe that one of the benefits of the app I now use is that it provides us with a glimpse into our society and what the mainstream media don’t cover. I’m not really sure, but I don’t think mass monitoring is a problem because, in my opinion, we are already exposed to everyone, including our privacy, and it really violates our right to personal freedom. However, it also plays an important role in preventing crime, gathering essential evidence, and keeping unneeded activity’s.
I have the Citizen app on my phone, and I haven’t downloaded the Neighbors app. I like the fact that the citizens app keeps me alerts on major 911 calls and reports of nearby crimes. I am not a member of Next-door in fact this is my first-time hearing about Next Door however I do get some type of news about crime/disorder from my twitter. The benefits of having these social media platforms are so that we can get news in just seconds since most young and some older people spend lots of time on their phone. Back in the days I remember the only way you would hear, see, and read about crimes and disorder was on the TV, radio, newspaper, and those who had a computer. Today with social media platforms such as Twitter, Instagram, TikTok and Citizen app news is at our fingertips. I am a bit concerned about mass surveillance because I feel like human beings have no privacy anymore.
I do have the citizens app, I don’t really go on it that much and I don’t get that many notifications. In my opinion people use it to be nosey and just talk trash about what’s going on. No I’m not a member of Nexdoor or anything that posts about crimes in the neighborhood. I never heard of Nexdoor so that’s why I never downloaded it but I still wouldn’t download it because if I’m around something that’s going on I’m not going to post it I would just have to report to the people who can actually do something about what’s going on not to other people.The benefits is you would know if something just happened in a certain area the downside is that people always use their phones to record something instead of stopping it. The mass surveillance is annoying because you can’t do anything without being watched by the world.
The podcast is very interesting, I’m very aware of the notorious whistle-blower Edward Snowden and for those who aren’t I highly suggest watching SNOWDEN, it might still be up on Netflix. He is one of the main reasons behind our knowledge of being watched or the most common joke of having our own personal FBI agents on our phones.
I do have the Citizen app, I downloaded it around the time it was still new. Personally, I don’t have an issue with the app, I see it as more useful to know what’s going on and where to avoid if I’m out somewhere. For example during the train station shooting that happened a while back, I was on the N train on my way to school and was getting annoyed by the delay since I had to show up for an exam that day. After receiving an alert on the Citizen app as to what was happening I felt bad that I even got annoyed in the first place since it was a serious matter, at that point an exam is irrelevant. I only don’t agree with the way people are allowed to comment on this app, they’re pretty ruthless and it’s pretty sad to see people be so heartless towards serious crime reports.
I’m not a member of Nexdoor but I do have Ring which updates me about anything going on in the community as well but mostly about auto-burglary, package stealers, missing dogs and etc.
The drawbacks of these types of apps would include tension, people would be scared to leave their houses or commute places. The amount of crime or accidents reported is insane, if I never had this app I wouldn’t know about 90% of the things going on, and it’s hard to say if that’s a good or bad thing. One benefit is it’s good to know what’s going on because it’s actually happening, I remember going to Washington Sq park for pride day and there was a mass hysteria due to a sound that sounded like gunshots. There were Hundreds of people screaming and running, I was genuinely confused and scared because in reality no one really knew what was going on. People were running into stores and restaurants seeking shelter and once I felt safe I checked the Citizens app which confirmed a report of gunshots that were being investigated and only 20 minutes later they confirmed it in fact wasn’t gunshots. But the fear and hysteria had already happened, I think citizens should make sure that those Reports aren’t posted until they’ve been investigated and confirmed 100%.
I’m not concerned about the greater degree of mass surveillance, hopefully, it is used properly and ethically in order to prevent future crimes from even happening.
I have the app citizen on my phone, it’s very useful because it lets us know the crimes happening around us and it even gives you the option to call law enforcement if needed. I’m not a member of nexdoor but I do keep track of crimes that happen via the social media platform. the benefit of having access to these apps and social media platforms is being aware of what types of crimes are happening around us and what we can do as a community to keep one another safe. I’m not so concerned with a greater degree of mass surveillance in the modern age because technology is the main source in helping prevent mass surveillance.
I currently do not have the citizens app because I personally tested it against my police scanner and came to the conclusion that many of the crimes happening in real time never actually make it to the app. I also found that there is a team of people who are responsible for monitoring police channels and reporting things on the app. Now if that one person is busy many other crimes get looked over thus leaving the end user vulnerable. So I choose to use my police scanner instead. I have never really depended on social media to provide me with updates about things happening around me. I feel living in NYC all my life I kind of know when and where to keep my head on a swivel. Also being a volunteer for the NYPD as an auxiliary police officer has opened my eyes to the criminal world and has given me a sense of awareness.
I feel that with all these online platforms and apps there is never 100% reliability because I have personally been at the scene of a crime as it unfolded and there was never an alert sent out to avoid the area. With regards to mass surveillance, we are already living in the realm of facial recognition and many other cameras placed around the city that I have no issue with it at this point.
That is interesting i never knew that the crimes are not in real time. I assumed that thats how the app works. This is interesting that you took the time to allow yourself to further investigate for you own safety.
I personally have never installed the citizens app nor the the neighbors app. I also have never heard of next door. However, I do follow pages on instagram that report on crime in the community such as @nypdtips. The reason why I have never downloaded any of these apps is because it hasn’t never occurred to me. Some benefits of these online platforms is that it notifies you of any crimes happening around you and all around makes you more aware of what’s happening around you. According to American Scandal podcast some drawbacks from these online platforms is that it also “fosters paranoia, racial profiling, and skewed understanding of crime.” But most of all it creates mass surveillance. I am concerned about mass surveillance because it invades our right to privacy. This is threatening to us as citizens because we have always been promised the right to privacy by the government.
I agree with the paranoia though we have never been promised privacy by the government. Constitutionally there is no right to that. There are only rights to protect the rights that were given and written for us. We want to believe we have the right to privacy though we do not.
Such a lively discussion here. I am learning so much! I don’t have either of the apps, but I do see some posts on my town’s Facebook page where people alert neighbors about “porch bandits” and car thieves.
I have the citizens app and it is very useful. I tend to live around an area where people have no self control. It is scary and it helps me be safe. There is also a feature to add members and be friends on this app to notify when or where there is a crime reported. This app works by tracking the 911 calls and when they are reported. As soon as a crime occurs and someone reports to an operator it is then updated to the app. This is very useful because it almost immediate and can help anyone stay out of harmsway. I say the downfall is overwhelming amounts of information being spread on platforms. It can be a bit invasive and almost scary because you have no idea who is watching on these apps and who knows what.