This is one of the most common questions we get, and we’re so glad you asked. It does take us a bit longer to answer this one, so buckle up!

StreetBuzz was created because Facebook and its alternatives aren’t cutting it anymore — especially when it comes to your local area. Unlike Facebook, which is run by a trillion-dollar tech titan, StreetBuzz is a proudly-independent, Australian platform, designed specifically for your neighbourhood. There are no friend counts, follower numbers, or popularity contests — just real, verified people sharing what matters locally. Whilst we’re hyper-local at heart, it’s a space where important stories have the potential to reach the entire city, not just your little suburb pocket. We filter out the noise too: no brainrot, no political spam, no irrelevant junk. Just highly curated, real-time updates like public safety alerts, crime reports, lost and found items, and uplifting community stories. Thanks to our verification process, scammers, bots, and trolls don’t get through. This means your feed stays clean and trustworthy. You’re in control, not an algorithm. Additionally, Facebook has the ultimate say on what content is shown, hidden or deleted entirely. Do you really think a profit-driven tech titan has your best interests at heart?

A large group of locals are not in community groups either. If you are in a community group, it’s usually only one. But even if you are were to join all 50 suburb-specific community groups in the city, you may still miss posts, or have to sift through junk because of Facebook’s unpredictable algorithm. We know this from experience, as our team conducted a study to test this theory. Our platform ensures important updates won’t get buried by engagement bait, and you can easily filter your view by street, suburb, or the entire city — because sometimes it’s good to know what’s happening beyond your own block too. Facebook community groups and pages are also voluntarily run by admins who may not have the time, money or resources to moderate content. Keeping these pages clean is a full time job in itself, and most admins have full time jobs already. 

Another great question! Traditional news outlets often feel distant, slow, and focused on headlines that drive national clicks or views. They aren’t all that interested in what’s happening on your street. On top of that, many media companies have their own political interests and agendas, whether it’s on the far left, or on the far right-wing. This can influence what stories are covered and how they’re framed. StreetBuzz flips that model. We’re not a top-down media company. We’re powered by the people, right where the action is. Instead of waiting hours (or days) for a story to filter through the newsroom, StreetBuzz delivers raw, real-time updates directly from locals. Whether it’s a nearby break-in, a heroic act, or a missing pet, you’ll hear it first from those who witnessed it — not after it’s been repackaged to suit a news cycle or a political narrative.

Our mission is to inform, not influence. And while legacy outlets answer to advertisers or networks, we answer to the community. We highlight both the good, the bad and the ugly. This isn’t just crime, but also everyday heroes, safety updates, community wins, and grassroots alerts that newsrooms overlook. Think of it as the future of local news: faster, more relevant, and owned by the people who live it.

We’re actively designing StreetBuzz to avoid that. Our platform encourages constructive updates, not rants. With post guidelines, a moderation system, and a balanced mix of good and bad news, the goal is to inform — not fuel negativity. 

We follow strict content guidelines. Videos that compromise someone’s personal privacy (example: filmed through windows, license plates without purpose, etc.) won’t be approved. We aim to strike a balance between public safety and respect for privacy.

We have a multi-layered review process. Reports are manually reviewed, and false reports are removed. Repeat offenders can be suspended and even banned from the app entirely. While users can submit local updates, posts must be grounded in evidence — these include photos, videos, or verifiable descriptions. All posts and users are able to be reported by other users if they believe it violates our policies. We also require submitters to acknowledge terms before posting. Unsubstantiated gossip doesn’t get through. Plus, users can report content for review, helping the community self-moderate.

Part of our purpose is to report on community crime and release safety alerts to citizens, which can be perceived as bad news. Whilst some people want to stick their head in the sand, others want to know what’s happening around them, so they can make informed decisions. Individuals are encouraged to consume content We also have content full of good news, local wins, and uplifting stories that would never be featured in mainstream media. Our mission is to show reality, not just the worst of it. We don’t engage in clickbait, because we don’t endorse or editorialise the content users post… it’s all user-generated content.

Not at all. Users can choose which types of events they want to receive alerts for. All users on the base plan will automatically receive immediate alerts for high-risk crimes and serious accidents that are an immediate threat or danger to life. In the later versions, you’ll be able to control your settings — turn alerts on or off, choose which types you want, and filter by your exact suburb or postcode. We believe in relevant info, not overload.

We’re independently built and run by the people, for the people. We are not owned by a giant tech company. Your data stays secure, local, and private. We don’t sell your information, and we never will.

StreetBuzz was born out of frustration — frustration with rising youth crime, social media noise, and mainstream media spin. Platforms like Facebook bury important community updates beneath a flood of ads, clickbait, and irrelevant content. Their algorithms are engineered not to inform you, but to keep you scrolling endlessly so they can profit off your attention.

We haven’t built our platform to exploit; it was built to fix. Yes, like any tech platform, there are costs involved in running it, but the focus has always been on public value first.

The team at StreetBuzz have experienced the same frustrations as everyone else in the community. Stolen cars, lost pets, reckless drivers, hit-and-runs — these issues affect all of us. Yet there has never been a dedicated space to report, share, and act on them together. We believe it’s unrealistic to blame a single politician or government for such a complex mix of problems. And it’s just as unrealistic to expect them to fix it all on their own, no matter how many times it’s promised. In addition, police are undermanned, courts are clogged and the jails are completely packed out. When a community comes together, real change becomes possible. Our vision is to build a platform where neighbours connect, share local updates, and support each other in real time. From public safety alerts and weather warnings, to everyday heroes and uplifting stories, StreetBuzz is about staying informed and staying connected. If our success means helping people feel safer, more aware, and more connected, then that’s something we’re proud to be a part of.