[1][2] The app uses radio antennas installed in major cities to monitor 911 communications,[5] with employees filtering the audio to generate alerts.
"[24] Frame, who had previously started public telecommunications company Ooma, Inc. and was an early advisor to Facebook, invested $300,000 in sp0n and recruited several engineers.
[2][20] It proved controversial when its marketing videos seemed to encourage user vigilantism,[2][6] with several publications also raising concerns about racial profiling[23] and harassment.
[2][6] While developing the new iteration,[23] the company had consulted New York city officials,[27] police, public safety experts, and "civil rights leaders—among others" on making it safe to use.
[32] In 2018 and 2019, the app began receiving attention in the press, in particular after alerting a New York school principal of a nearby terrorist attack before the event reached the news.
Police departments that CNN Business reached out to for comment were "neutral about the app," including San Francisco and Baltimore.
"[20] William Bratton, who had been opposed to the app in 2016 as New York City Police Commissioner, around that time joined Citizen's board of directors.
[39] In February 2020, Citizen reported having 225,000 local users in Philadelphia, continuing to increase the saturation of surveillance in larger cities and potentially specific neighborhoods.
[40] The Wall Street Journal, in early June 2020, wrote that Citizen had become a "key tool during protests" after the police murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
[41] Recode wrote that Citizen was experiencing a "surprising renaissance as an organizing and broadcasting tool for activists", with protestors using it to monitor protest developments, police responses,[42] and curfews.
[43] Fast Company described it as, "on Citizen, users can see a map of exactly where people are gathering, view raw video of demonstrations in progress, look for signs of rioting and looting, and air out their feelings in comments sections."
Some critics noted that Citizen's collection of protest videos tied to identifying information could potentially be used by government entities.
[49] In January 2023, Citizen announced it would "temporarily reduce coverage in the Seattle Metropolitan Area", and notifications did drop sharply.
[1] The home screen organizes nearby incidents by distance and recency,[50] and Citizen also allows users to cut off alerts for anything but major events.
"[23] The operations team includes journalists and former first responders,[38] who are "trained to make on-the-fly decisions about what goes into the app based on complex criteria.
The New York Times reported that Citizen footage was provided to television stations for free,[33] with more than 100 of those videos being used on local news broadcasts on a weekly basis.
[59] Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs stated that he was "hoping to get as many of the about 750,000 county residents as possible signed up as soon as possible in order to reach critical mass.
[60] A month later, a livestream with over 1 million views started a search in California, offering a $30,000 reward for information that led to a specific person's arrest, claiming they were an arsonist responsible for the Palisades Fire.
[62] Citizen's first paid feature,[63] USA Today says it "lets users contact virtual agents for help if they feel they're in danger."
[65] Soon after, the misinformed campaign to find the purported suspect spread online and many tips were brought forth to Los Angeles Police Department investigators.
The man was identified as Devin Hilton and was obtained for questioning by investigators, but he was soon ruled out as the suspected arsonist due to a substantial lack of evidence connecting him to the fire.
[66] Citizen later admitted to the mistake stating, "We publicly posted the photo and offered a cash reward for information without formal coordination with the appropriate agencies.