Privacy was the #1 rule when building neighOWL. Since it's a hyperlocal forum, I needed location, but I refused to store it.
solution: The browser captures the GPS, rounds it heavily (blurring it to about a 1km zone), generates a zone hash, and only sends the hash to the database. The exact coordinates never leave your device. Even as the creator, I can't see where you are.
Anyone else building privacy-first tools? What trade-offs did you have to make?
I've been quietly building neighOWL to solve a simple problem: I wanted to know what was happening in my own neighbourhood (alerts, events, lost pets) without signing up for yet another social network that tracks my data.
We are launching today. It's completely anonymous, has zero accounts, and uses a ~1km zone code instead of your exact GPS.
For the builders here: What's your biggest concern with current hyperlocal apps like Nextdoor? Would love your thoughts before we go live!
neighOWL is a privacy-first, anonymous community forum for your
neighbourhood, No identity-> mobile-first web app
📱 Works as a PWA — install it like an app
🔐 No accounts, no sign-up, no email
📍 Uses ~1km zone codes — your exact GPS is never stored or transmitted
⏳ Posts expire in 48 hours — always fresh, never a data archive
🗺️ Hyperlocal by design — see only your neighbourhood
🗳️ Polls, reactions, and real-time comments
Built quietly. Runs on curiosity.
