Social network seeks to be "icebreaker" for neighbors

Nearly a third of Americans have no interaction with their neighbors, partly due to lower levels of trust, according to a report. But one company is trying to put a stop to this trend by bringing neighbors together.

"Nextdoor" is a free private social network platform where neighbors can ask questions, get to know one another, and solve issues such as finding a baby sitter, selling a used couch and safety.

"We are a social network but we're a social network solving problems, so it's not about status updates, it's not about photo sharing," CEO and founder Nirav Tolia told "CBS This Morning" Monday. "Now technology can play a role in bringing back that sense of community and Nextdoor is an icebreaker--it's not a replacement for the conversation that you have with your neighbors, it just makes it easy for those to happen."

The company has set in place several protective measures to ensure the privacy of the conversations. Every neighbor must sign in with their real name and verify their address, which Tolia said lowers the "incentive for behaving badly." Users' information is also not shared with advertisers. The website requires a password and is encrypted.

Nextdoor can also be used as a "virtual neighborhood watch" to make the community safer. The company has partnered with some 1,500 police departments nationwide to foster dialogue between neighbors and law enforcement.

But responding to concerns over potential racial profiling, Tolia stressed that the company has "made it very clear" that such behavior is "unacceptable."

"It hardly ever happens but even one occurrence is too many," he said. "We'll do everything we can to remind our neighbors that the constructive dialogue on Nextdoor should stay civil and neighborly."

When the company first launched, almost 30 percent of Americans didn't know a single neighbor by name, Tolia said. Now, the service is being used by more than 85,000 neighborhoods across the country.

"As we move forward to creating a business model, we think there is tremendous opportunity to (also) connect neighbors and local businesses," Tolia said.