Citizen Sues Nextdoor.com
Arthur West, of Olympia Washington, was an active user of the Nextdoor.com app. That is, until they didn’t like what he had to say and then kicked him off the platform.
Not one to be silenced, West sued Nextdoor and it’s CEO, using the precedent from a landmark sex offender case, Packingham v. North Carolina, that held the government cannot block an individual’s access to social media – which is the modern day “public square”.
West’s argument, that in partnering with government agencies, such as law enforcement, Nextdoor is acting as a quasi public body and therefore cannot restrict people from it’s public square. This is precisely the issue FAC has had with the company and their policy of banning registrants and their cohabitants from their website. (see: https://floridaactioncommittee.org/fac-response-to-nextdoor-coms-reply/ and https://floridaactioncommittee.org/fac-letter-to-nextdoor-com/).
This is a case we will be watching closely and would love to participate in.
A copy of the complaint can be found here: West v. NextDoor
Thanks to the member who alerted us to it’s filing!
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What has to happen to stop Nextdoor from getting away with what they are doing? They have no right to disable someones account for no reason. It has happened to hundreds of people over and over again and they keep getting away with it.
I reported someone calling me a xenophobe. It was in a post about local masks mandates for the public schools. The post is as follows:
“When the government leaves our border open for illegals with the CCP virus to just waltz into the good ole US of A and buses and flies them all over the country, how much more hypocritical can it be? Allowing ILLEGAL, INFECTED INDIVIDUALS into our country and transporting them all over the US WITH OUR TAX DOLLARS and then telling me to vaccinate my child if I want her to get an education in a public school or wear a mask is absolutely pathetic. Sorry, credibility is out the window…especially when they cannot produce the studies and stats. I would love to see him debate with Fuh-Falci. The CDC needs to stop moving the goal posts!!!!!!!!!
Unvetted, unvaccinated illegals are trumping my child’s human right to an education…per the government. Actions speak louder than words. States have the obligation to protect, respect, and fulfil the right to education, period. I can decide if my previously infected child by a teacher needs to “mask up.” Case made.”
Another user then proceeded to call me a xenophobe. I reported the comment about xenophobe and was suspended for MY post as nextdoor says it was discriminatory. I am talking to a lawyer about it. This is insane. I emailed them asking them to please pinpoint exactly which phrase is discriminatory. These are simple facts. The people coming across the border are coming illegally, are unvetted, are unvaccinated, and are considered immigrants. How is that discriminatory, pray tell?!?!?!? They are simple facts per the media. If people do not stop them, the USA will fall.
I agree with your comments wholeheartedly. However, Nextdoor, in my opinion, is a complete waste of one’s energy. As the old saying goes, they aren’t worth the powder to blow them to hell.
What is a xenophobe? I think they may have thought the comment was discriminatory in nature because it targeted a single group of people and a race (illegals= minorities, specifically of Mexican descent.)
Although I find your comment a bit racist to be honest, and as a minority myself I do not blame ANY race for my ability/inability to get an education or for my children to continue theirs, I do believe the first amendment protects our right to freedom of speech.
I think this might be the premise on which you could argue your position.
Michelle,
You find a comment stating Americans were left behind in Afghanistan “racist”. That is just nuts.
Yeah, surely you don’t believe that is what she finds racist.
Personally, I found most of the writing to be obnoxious. The southern border is not the problem in America. The problem is the human garbage that has been living in America for a long time. You know, those people who believe random internet ranters instead of 99.9999% of the doctors in the country. That is the problem. Those people have a lot of beliefs in common and few are good.
AMEN and AMEN. I would not give them the sweat off a rat’s ‘butt’. Please don’t waste time with Nextdoor.
Hi MJ, I just posted the same thing near Buffalo, N.Y and they did the same thing to me. Violated are freedom of speech.
I should have sued! They disabled my account a few years ago because I have a close friend to come live with me. They recently opened my account out of no where. Im sure they were sued numerous times.
I was curious, so I looked up the case number in King County Superior Court, Washington.
The case was dismissed without prejudice on 9.26.19
The dismissal order was not readily available (unless I missed a link somewhere)> I think one must order a copy somewhere.
18-2-23810-2 SEA
WEST VS TOLIA ET AL
Miscellaneous, Civil (2) – Completed/Re-Completed
Summary
Participants
Documents List
Events
Judgments
Documents
Documents List
Sub Number Date Filed Document Name Additional Information Page # Seal
1 09/24/2018 CMP – Complaint COMPLAINT FOR DECLARATORY & INJUNCT 11
2 09/24/2018 *ORSCS – Order Setting Case Schedule SET CASE SCHEDULE 09-23-2019ST 6
3 09/24/2018 CICS – Case Information Cover Sheet CASE INFORMATION COVER SHEET 1
4 09/24/2018 SM – Summons SUMMONS 2
5 12/13/2018 ORCJ – Order for Change of Judge 1
6 09/26/2019 ORDSMWO – Order of Dismissal Without Prejudice
I do not give Nextdoor the luxury of my time.
I’m a victim of sexual assault and go by altered name and they deleted my account for not using my real name as one of my neighbors that doesn’t know anything about me complained.
My account was also canceled because I registered as First Initial Last Initial Last Name. I did this because I did not want to be confused with someone that had the same name as me but a different middle initial and had been employed by the FBI. I made numerous comments on many posts and all was fine until I posted a reply comment to someone’s post. They were giving out incorrect information about who was responsible for Covid-19 mask enforcement. I posted the correct information and asked a question for clarification. My account was then closed. When I inquired they said a neighbor had complained that I was hiding my identity. This person likely did not live near me and did not even know me. Nextdoor asked me to send in proof that I went by my initials. Since I do not have to show an ID to vote in my state, I find this request unreasonable and invasive when I have already been verified. This appears to be censorship.
My account was also canceled because I registered as First Initial Middle Initial Last Name. I did this because I did not want to be confused with someone that had the same name as me but a different middle initial and had been employed by the FBI. I made numerous comments on many posts and all was fine until I posted a reply comment to someone’s post. They were giving out incorrect information about who was responsible for Covid-19 mask enforcement. I posted the correct information and asked a question for clarification. My account was then closed. When I inquired they said a neighbor had complained that I was hiding my identity. This person likely did not live near me and did not even know me. Nextdoor asked me to send in proof that I went by my initials. Since I do not have to show an ID to vote in my state, I find this request unreasonable and invasive when I have already been verified. This appears to be censorship.
Kay , they did the same to me. Even after I verified my identity, and explained the reason I did not post my entire last name is because 1) I am a victim of domestic violence and b) a current restraining order is in place against the defendant, they didn’t care to protect my identity! They stated I needed to prove to them that I am currently enrolled in my state’s address protection program. Unbelievable, I’m still apalled…
It is not possible on the platform to hide your address (street and location) to everyone. At the present time people are very scared of the current situation regarding the Coronavirus, furthermore they are confined to their homes where they see negative news on a daily bases. These facts are very disturbing to a group of people who develop aggressive and paranoid tendencies. A simple post can be easily misunderstood and result in threats to the individual who posted it, particularly if it is a woman. Additionally these people can locate you. It’s very important to maintain people’s location private and per what I and others experienced it is a dangerous platform. I would not be surprised if Nextdoor leads to very serious consequences for people in the future because of it’s unsafe aspect.
Pam I agree, I do NOT want my address disclosed! Even if I was not a victim of domestic violence, the fact that there ARE infact aggressive people on this social platform and they know your address opens up the pandoras box of stalking behaviors and the possibility to even bring physical harm upon a person and most definiitely grounds for a lawsuit (btw at least 2 lawsuits have already been filed from 2018- 2021.)
On the flipside of this I am sure Next Door asked members to agree to their terms of service before initiating our accounts. Read the fine print.
Pam….YES YES YES and I have complained to them several times about addresses. They “assure” me no one using the app can see my address. That is true, but if you live in a named subdivision, it shows such subdivision or show the area you’re from. It would be easy for someone to walk or drive into that place and catch the first “neighbor” they see and ask “Hey, I’m trying to find x because she left her keys at the club” How many people would know her and say “Oh yeah, she lives 2 blocks down on the right with a red car and purple house”?
Not only that, many places have a parcel map online for realtors that shows such subdivisions. Just click the home and it shows all the owner info. Scary stuff right there by itself.
In 2017, I received call from next door asking me to pay for the advertisement. I refused. Shortly after that, I realized my account was blocked. I barely posted anything on next door back then.
they have blocked me 3 times now.. and have blocked me from seeing reported context
Me too. Each time I replied to a nasty lib post that was not accurate. I was suspended but not the Neo liberal.
That seems to be the case every time. They are pro liberal, anti-conservative. I posted that I had gotten the covid antibody test at my local CVS, and that I had both IGg and IGm antibodies. My account has been disabled due to vaccine misinformation! I have the antibodies, how is this misinformation! Its true, I have the paperwork to prove it!
Let’s get a class action suit going. This is total BS. I’m in VA.
I’m in!
Nevada
Im in !!!