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?
Hey Product Hunt! π
I'm Rajesh β I built neighOWL(mobile-first web app), mostly at odd hours, and with a lot of curiosity.
The idea started from a simple frustration: me and my pet (Leo) wanted to know what was
happening in our own neighbourhood β noise complaints, lost pets, local
alerts β without joining another social network that would track me,
sell my data, or require me to create an account.
So, I built neighOWL.
Here's what makes it different:
β Completely anonymous β no accounts, ever
β Your location is converted to a ~1km zone code inside your browser.
The exact coordinates are never transmitted or stored. Even I can't
see where you are.
β Posts expire in 48 hours β no data archive, no permanent record
β Real-time: see your neighbours' posts appear live
It's free, open, and built with the philosophy that communities should
talk to each other β not to an algorithm.
Β
Pro Tip:Β neighOWL is aΒ mobile-first web app. Since it requires precise location to put you in the right neighbourhood zone,Β please open it on your phone. (Desktop browsers usually don't have real GPS and will give inaccurate results!).
Would love your feedback. Ask me anything. π¦
β .Rajesh