Online neighbors forum alters rules to stop racial profiling

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A social media network created to connect neighbors in online communities said it is changing how members can report suspicious activity after a group complained the website was being used for racial profiling.

Some residents in racially diverse Oakland say people were posting warnings about minorities, flagging black men walking by too slowly, for example, on San Francisco-based Nextdoor.com, which is intended as a place to share recommendations on plumbers or pass along information on used furniture.

In an effort to remedy that, the company will no longer allow immediate postings on its crime and safety section, company chief executive Nirav Tolia said.

"The work that Nextdoor has done is truly groundbreaking, and they were willing to meet with myself and members of the community and really dig deep to take on the issue of racial profiling and make real change in the way their users are posting," Campbell Washington said.