We published our very first Benefit Report. It’s a look at what we’ve built, the impact we’re starting to see, and what we’re still figuring out. Plenty of that last part. Have a read, and let us know if you have questions!

Oh yeah. We just published our first Benefit Report.

Grab the Gander Social Benefit Report 2025-2026

gandersocial.ca

Thinking a lot about what "local" means online. So much organizing (especially in smaller communities and neighbourhoods) happens on platforms that weren’t built with Canadian communities, privacy, or laws in mind. What does "local" online look like to you... Belonging? Proximity? Geography?

Tiny. Nocturnal. Fond of peanut butter. One of the best PSAs of all time. And a very good reminder... especially these days. www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9hJ...

House Hippo

YouTube video by ccacanada

youtube.com

We’d ask you to sign up for Gander. But honestly, we’d rather you didn’t. It’s Canada Day. Put away your phone. Talk to your friends. Get some fresh air. Touch grass if you can. It's what we'll be doing. Sign up for Gander tomorrow. It’ll still be here when you get back.

On voit plein de nouveaux visages par ici. Bienvenue 👋 Techniquement, on « lance » demain. Mais vous pouvez très bien passer un peu d’avance, jeter un coup d’œil, goûter aux grignotines et vous trouver une bonne place où vous installer. Trouvez-nous dans l’App Store ou sur Google Play.

Seeing a bunch of fresh faces. Pleasure to meet you👋 Technically, we "launch" tomorrow. But you're more than welcome to come on by a bit early and check things out ahead of time, sample the snacks, and find a good spot to chill. Find us on the App Store or Google Play.

Got some coverage in the Globe today ahead of our very official launch on Canada Day. It’s a solid primer on what we’re up to: a Canadian social platform that can make you smile, where your data stays here, and where the community sets the tone. Heads up: paywall.

Canadian social-media platform Gander officially launches this week, promising data sovereignty

Born out of the country’s ‘elbows up’ movement, the app aims to evoke the old days of social media

theglobeandmail.com

Moderation is one of those things people don’t really notice when it’s working. Some do. Usually when we remove a slur. That or politely ask them to leave when it's become a pattern of behaviour. Read about our approach to moderation: context, nuance, exemptions: gandersocial.ca/blog/peace-o...

We took some time to mull over the Safe Social Media Act aka C-34. We’ve read the bill and policy materials, sat in on a technical briefing, read analysis, and talked to people smarter than us (as you do). We have a few (early) thoughts. Namely: C-34 is a major improvement over C-63.

Someone really should do something about this. www.ctvnews.ca/sports/artic...

Canada’s soccer players call for action from companies, government over online abuse

Players on the Canadian men’s national soccer team are calling on social media companies and the federal government to do more to hold users accountable for racist abuse, death threats and hateful mes...

ctvnews.ca

A serious one... because it's Monday. Recent reporting has found foreign accounts pushing Alberta separatism in Canada. People pretending to be local, stealing content, scamming Canadians, and warping political dialogue. That should bother everyone. It for sure bothers us. 👇

Another section from our submission on the future of online safety legislation in Canada. What's the minimum amount of information a platform actually needs to know in order to operate safely? 1/8

Continuing our discussion on online safety legislation in Canada... another one we've wrestled with: How do you reduce bots, fraud, and impersonation without turning platforms into giant collectors of sensitive identity data?

Créer un meilleur réseau social, c’est aussi le rendre plus accessible. Nous travaillons avec des membres de notre communauté qui utilisent des technologies d’assistance afin de rendre Gander plus accessible. Envie d’aider? gandersocial.ca/acce... #SemaineNationaleDeLaccessibilité

Building better social media also means making it more accessible. We’re working with people in our community who use assistive technologies to help improve the Gander experience and make it more usable for all. Interested in participating? gandersocial.ca/blog... #NationalAccessibilityWeek

A few days ago, we shared some of our recommendations on the future of online safety in Canada. Privacy, accessibility, safety, participation... we've been wrestling with this for months. Your turn. How do we better protect young people online without creating new barriers for everyone else? 1/6

Créer un meilleur réseau social, c’est aussi le rendre plus accessible. Nous travaillons avec des membres de notre communauté qui utilisent des technologies d’assistance afin de rendre Gander plus accessible. Envie d’aider? gandersocial.ca/acce... #SemaineNationaleDeLaccessibilité

Building better social media also means making it more accessible. We’re working with people in our community who use assistive technologies to help improve the Gander experience and make it more usable for all. Interested in participating? gandersocial.ca/blog... #NationalAccessibilityWeek

The community has spoken, so we're building. Here’s a peek at what's just been released, what we're working on, and what we're noodling on at Gander. A bit of healthier social, a bit of fun, some growth, and a dash of self-sufficiency. Anything here you’ve been hoping to see? Something else?

We were invited to share recommendations with the Office of Minister Miller on online safety legislation in Canada. It's a nuanced topic, and if the internet has taught us anything, it’s that simple “fixes” can have very real unintended consequences. Some thoughts + our submission below. 1/10

Looking forward to seeing everyone soon! If you're attending, don't be shy and come say hi.

Your App, Your Rules: Building on Open Protocols & How You Can Get Involved, with Bluesky and Gander Social · Luma

Senior executives from Bluesky and Canada's own Gander Social will discuss how they built their apps on AT Protocol, and why open protocols will win out over…

luma.com

Jen discusses our decision to add verification to Gander for folks who want to post, comment or chat. Our approach keeps ID info out of our hands and adds a layer to reduce bots, bad actors, and harm to kids. Does everyone love it? Nope. But that's what friction is. gandersocial.ca/blog...

Open social. Good conversation. Invites. Stickers. We’ll be at Your App, Your Rules in Toronto, talking about AT Protocol with Alex, Gander, and where social apps can go from here. Find us there for Gander invites and a few stickers while they last.

Your App, Your Rules: Building on Open Protocols & How You Can Get Involved, with Bluesky and Gander Social · Luma

Senior executives from Bluesky and Canada's own Gander Social will discuss how they built their apps on AT Protocol, and why open protocols will win out over…

luma.com

We’re building Gander to give Canadian video creators a better space of their own. Flicks is where you can scroll with a little less dopamine and a little more oxytocin. Where you’ll find storytellers, comedians, artists, and people who just really need to show you a bird they saw yesterday.

Thanks @betakit.com for naming Gander a 2026 Most Ambitious honouree in the Sovereign Stack category. There is no sovereignty without technology. The spaces where we connect, organize (and the data we create doing it) need to be our own.

Looking forward to it! Come hang if you're in Toronto and into open social. (Or just want to hang, that's cool too)

Alex@alex.bsky.team · 3mo ago

ok, one more quick trip: if you are gonna be in Toronto next Thursday, I'm doing an event with @gandersocial.ca! luma.com/qgtqdub2?tk=...

Our COO Jen Mitchell shares some of the thinking behind our moderation policies and community guidelines. No small task when your goal is balancing civil conversation with freedom of expression. We pushed into new territory and the community on Gander is proving it was worth every minute.

Have you checked your inbox? Like, scoured it? It's official: we've sent over 47,000 invites to Early Access members, testers, and investors. If you haven’t spotted yours yet, try searching “Gander invite” (and maybe check Promotions or Spam while you’re at it). Can't wait to see you in there!

When we started building Gander, we hoped we’d attract thoughtful community. We didn't expect that it so soon. 7,000 beta testers helped shape the app and somehow stay incredibly kind through all of it. Thank you all for setting the tone for what Gander could become. ❤️ More in the comments.

Come hang out with us at Toronto Tech Week where we'll be there chatting with the folks from Bluesky about open social and what we’re building at Gander. We may even have some invites to Gander on-hand :) luma.com/qgtqdub2?tk... #ttw2026 #TorontoTechWeek

Your App, Your Rules: Building on Open Protocols & How You Can Get Involved, with Bluesky and Gander Social · Luma

Senior executives from Bluesky and Canada's own Gander Social will discuss how they built their apps on AT Protocol, and why open protocols will win out over…

luma.com