Gander Social
@gandersocial.bsky.social
The social media you want. Built for Canada.
Fun, private, and ethical. We're changing the way social media is done around here, all without your data taking an unexpected trip south. Built on AT Proto.
https://gandersocial.ca
Fun, private, and ethical. We're changing the way social media is done around here, all without your data taking an unexpected trip south. Built on AT Proto.
https://gandersocial.ca
Pinned
Exgoose me? You’re funding Gander how?
We're inviting Canadians to become co-owners.
Over 1.5k Canadians have invested from $255 to $10K or more, totalling $1.2M so far!
Become an owner! Tell friends, family, frenemies... anyone who wants better socials in Canada 🇨🇦
frontfundr.com/gandersocial
We're inviting Canadians to become co-owners.
Over 1.5k Canadians have invested from $255 to $10K or more, totalling $1.2M so far!
Become an owner! Tell friends, family, frenemies... anyone who wants better socials in Canada 🇨🇦
frontfundr.com/gandersocial
In the time honoured tradition of year-end posts, here is a hodgepodge list of garbage-social-media-and-social-media-adjacent stories that came across our desks in 2025. In no particular order.
(Feel free to add yours to the list.)
(Feel free to add yours to the list.)
December 31, 2025 at 7:00 PM
In the time honoured tradition of year-end posts, here is a hodgepodge list of garbage-social-media-and-social-media-adjacent stories that came across our desks in 2025. In no particular order.
(Feel free to add yours to the list.)
(Feel free to add yours to the list.)
Today is the winter solstice, the longest night of the year.
While we’ll be bundling up for a while yet, soon enough there will be a patio to sit on.
Even if it's that one day in March that's 11.5 degrees for three hours before plunging
back down well below zero the moment the sun starts to set.
While we’ll be bundling up for a while yet, soon enough there will be a patio to sit on.
Even if it's that one day in March that's 11.5 degrees for three hours before plunging
back down well below zero the moment the sun starts to set.
December 21, 2025 at 3:03 PM
Today is the winter solstice, the longest night of the year.
While we’ll be bundling up for a while yet, soon enough there will be a patio to sit on.
Even if it's that one day in March that's 11.5 degrees for three hours before plunging
back down well below zero the moment the sun starts to set.
While we’ll be bundling up for a while yet, soon enough there will be a patio to sit on.
Even if it's that one day in March that's 11.5 degrees for three hours before plunging
back down well below zero the moment the sun starts to set.
Back in June, we were trying to sort out what we would do if Cyril Sneer somehow took over Gander.
So we incorporated as a Benefit Company.
Since it’s a fairly new concept here in Canada, you can read about it on our blog: gandersocial.ca/blog/friends...
Or the thread for highlights.
So we incorporated as a Benefit Company.
Since it’s a fairly new concept here in Canada, you can read about it on our blog: gandersocial.ca/blog/friends...
Or the thread for highlights.
Friends with a Benefit Company - Gander Social Blog
TL;DR: Gander Social is incorporated as a Benefit Company: a for-profit business with a legally binding public benefit. Our public benefit is to build trustworthy social infrastructure that protects…
gandersocial.ca
December 11, 2025 at 5:58 PM
Back in June, we were trying to sort out what we would do if Cyril Sneer somehow took over Gander.
So we incorporated as a Benefit Company.
Since it’s a fairly new concept here in Canada, you can read about it on our blog: gandersocial.ca/blog/friends...
Or the thread for highlights.
So we incorporated as a Benefit Company.
Since it’s a fairly new concept here in Canada, you can read about it on our blog: gandersocial.ca/blog/friends...
Or the thread for highlights.
I invested in Gander and all I got was this lousy t-shirt… I mean equity (we aren’t doing merch).
We officially surpassed our goal of $1.5M CAD in equity crowdfunding last night, and we're now 1,800 Canadian co-owners in Gander Social.
Crazy.
We officially surpassed our goal of $1.5M CAD in equity crowdfunding last night, and we're now 1,800 Canadian co-owners in Gander Social.
Crazy.
Gander Social — FrontFundr
We're making social media social again.
www.frontfundr.com
December 10, 2025 at 8:57 PM
I invested in Gander and all I got was this lousy t-shirt… I mean equity (we aren’t doing merch).
We officially surpassed our goal of $1.5M CAD in equity crowdfunding last night, and we're now 1,800 Canadian co-owners in Gander Social.
Crazy.
We officially surpassed our goal of $1.5M CAD in equity crowdfunding last night, and we're now 1,800 Canadian co-owners in Gander Social.
Crazy.
Gamgam's timeline is getting dark.
Big thanks to the fine folks at @betakit.com for hosting Ben, the convo, and for sharing this video with us.
Big thanks to the fine folks at @betakit.com for hosting Ben, the convo, and for sharing this video with us.
November 28, 2025 at 5:51 PM
Gamgam's timeline is getting dark.
Big thanks to the fine folks at @betakit.com for hosting Ben, the convo, and for sharing this video with us.
Big thanks to the fine folks at @betakit.com for hosting Ben, the convo, and for sharing this video with us.
Reposted by Gander Social
Jen Mitchell talked about @gandersocial.bsky.social, a Canadian-built and hosted, values-driven social media platform designed to offer a safer, saner, and more accountable alternative to the big, foreign owned, platforms. vimeo.com/1140415998?s...
Startup Showcase: Gander Social
Startup Showcase: Gander Social with Jen Mitchell Fun and trusted social media, where people aren’t the product. Gander Social is a Canadian-built and hosted,…
vimeo.com
November 27, 2025 at 12:06 PM
Jen Mitchell talked about @gandersocial.bsky.social, a Canadian-built and hosted, values-driven social media platform designed to offer a safer, saner, and more accountable alternative to the big, foreign owned, platforms. vimeo.com/1140415998?s...
Grateful to the team at @newpublic.org for this thoughtful convo on how (and why) we're building Gander Social:
rethinking digital infrastructure, public spaces, and how shared values can shape better online experiences.
And, you know, building an app people actually feel good about using.
rethinking digital infrastructure, public spaces, and how shared values can shape better online experiences.
And, you know, building an app people actually feel good about using.
What would a 100% Canadian social media platform look like?
The team at @gandersocial.bsky.social is about to find out. By giving Canadians control over their data, their feeds, and more, they’re hoping to offer a viable alternative for American social media.
The team at @gandersocial.bsky.social is about to find out. By giving Canadians control over their data, their feeds, and more, they’re hoping to offer a viable alternative for American social media.
🇨🇦 How Canadians are fighting for digital independence
Gander's CEO on decentralization, crowdsourcing, and annexation fears
newpublic.substack.com
November 20, 2025 at 6:40 PM
Grateful to the team at @newpublic.org for this thoughtful convo on how (and why) we're building Gander Social:
rethinking digital infrastructure, public spaces, and how shared values can shape better online experiences.
And, you know, building an app people actually feel good about using.
rethinking digital infrastructure, public spaces, and how shared values can shape better online experiences.
And, you know, building an app people actually feel good about using.
Reposted by Gander Social
🍄 Mushroom computers, 🕵️ ICE video doorbells, 🤖 chatbot age limits, ✈️ the new supersonic jet, 🌪️ Bill Gate's climate warning, 🪿 @gandersocial.bsky.social fundraising, 🔥 big #tech layoffs, and lots more on 🇨🇦 #Canada's The AmberMac Show with @jeffmacarthur.bsky.social! youtu.be/T8YJtguykwA?...
Big Tech Cuts Jobs in Our AI Era [The AmberMac Show Ep038]
YouTube video by Amber Mac
youtu.be
November 6, 2025 at 4:06 PM
🍄 Mushroom computers, 🕵️ ICE video doorbells, 🤖 chatbot age limits, ✈️ the new supersonic jet, 🌪️ Bill Gate's climate warning, 🪿 @gandersocial.bsky.social fundraising, 🔥 big #tech layoffs, and lots more on 🇨🇦 #Canada's The AmberMac Show with @jeffmacarthur.bsky.social! youtu.be/T8YJtguykwA?...
Exgoose-moi ? Tu finances Gander… comment ?
On invite les Canadiens à devenir copropriétaires.
Déjà 1 500+ personnes ont investi entre 255 $ et 10 000 $ — plus de 1,2 M $ !
Deviens proprio et parle-en à ceux qui veulent de meilleurs réseaux sociaux au 🇨🇦
frontfundr.com/fr/gandersoc...
On invite les Canadiens à devenir copropriétaires.
Déjà 1 500+ personnes ont investi entre 255 $ et 10 000 $ — plus de 1,2 M $ !
Deviens proprio et parle-en à ceux qui veulent de meilleurs réseaux sociaux au 🇨🇦
frontfundr.com/fr/gandersoc...
November 3, 2025 at 10:57 PM
Exgoose-moi ? Tu finances Gander… comment ?
On invite les Canadiens à devenir copropriétaires.
Déjà 1 500+ personnes ont investi entre 255 $ et 10 000 $ — plus de 1,2 M $ !
Deviens proprio et parle-en à ceux qui veulent de meilleurs réseaux sociaux au 🇨🇦
frontfundr.com/fr/gandersoc...
On invite les Canadiens à devenir copropriétaires.
Déjà 1 500+ personnes ont investi entre 255 $ et 10 000 $ — plus de 1,2 M $ !
Deviens proprio et parle-en à ceux qui veulent de meilleurs réseaux sociaux au 🇨🇦
frontfundr.com/fr/gandersoc...
Exgoose me? You’re funding Gander how?
We're inviting Canadians to become co-owners.
Over 1.5k Canadians have invested from $255 to $10K or more, totalling $1.2M so far!
Become an owner! Tell friends, family, frenemies... anyone who wants better socials in Canada 🇨🇦
frontfundr.com/gandersocial
We're inviting Canadians to become co-owners.
Over 1.5k Canadians have invested from $255 to $10K or more, totalling $1.2M so far!
Become an owner! Tell friends, family, frenemies... anyone who wants better socials in Canada 🇨🇦
frontfundr.com/gandersocial
November 3, 2025 at 3:46 PM
Exgoose me? You’re funding Gander how?
We're inviting Canadians to become co-owners.
Over 1.5k Canadians have invested from $255 to $10K or more, totalling $1.2M so far!
Become an owner! Tell friends, family, frenemies... anyone who wants better socials in Canada 🇨🇦
frontfundr.com/gandersocial
We're inviting Canadians to become co-owners.
Over 1.5k Canadians have invested from $255 to $10K or more, totalling $1.2M so far!
Become an owner! Tell friends, family, frenemies... anyone who wants better socials in Canada 🇨🇦
frontfundr.com/gandersocial
Ahem.
We give you Gander. The app. On a phone.
Not public yet… but it’s real, in our hands, and soon in beta.
The timing is a bit nuts… given we just opened investment to all Canadians (at frontfundr.com/gandersocial) but we’re over the moon.
Amazing what can get done with community.
We give you Gander. The app. On a phone.
Not public yet… but it’s real, in our hands, and soon in beta.
The timing is a bit nuts… given we just opened investment to all Canadians (at frontfundr.com/gandersocial) but we’re over the moon.
Amazing what can get done with community.
October 30, 2025 at 6:43 PM
Ahem.
We give you Gander. The app. On a phone.
Not public yet… but it’s real, in our hands, and soon in beta.
The timing is a bit nuts… given we just opened investment to all Canadians (at frontfundr.com/gandersocial) but we’re over the moon.
Amazing what can get done with community.
We give you Gander. The app. On a phone.
Not public yet… but it’s real, in our hands, and soon in beta.
The timing is a bit nuts… given we just opened investment to all Canadians (at frontfundr.com/gandersocial) but we’re over the moon.
Amazing what can get done with community.
“It’s one thing to say ‘let’s do this in a sovereign way.’ It’s another to actually do it.”
^Ben spoke to @trondizzle.bsky.social from @betakit.com about being children of CanCon, giving people control of their feeds, and why sovereignty doesn’t mean isolation.
More👉 betakit.com/canada-gande...
^Ben spoke to @trondizzle.bsky.social from @betakit.com about being children of CanCon, giving people control of their feeds, and why sovereignty doesn’t mean isolation.
More👉 betakit.com/canada-gande...
Can Canada build its own social network? | BetaKit
Gander CEO Ben Waldman explains his vision for sovereign social media.
betakit.com
October 15, 2025 at 7:30 PM
“It’s one thing to say ‘let’s do this in a sovereign way.’ It’s another to actually do it.”
^Ben spoke to @trondizzle.bsky.social from @betakit.com about being children of CanCon, giving people control of their feeds, and why sovereignty doesn’t mean isolation.
More👉 betakit.com/canada-gande...
^Ben spoke to @trondizzle.bsky.social from @betakit.com about being children of CanCon, giving people control of their feeds, and why sovereignty doesn’t mean isolation.
More👉 betakit.com/canada-gande...
Ahead of her workshop at Elevate Festival later this week, we sat down with our COO Jen to chat about how we’re building a Canadian tech stack that centres privacy, trust, and sovereignty.
gandersocial.ca/blog/buildin...
#ElevateFest2025
gandersocial.ca/blog/buildin...
#ElevateFest2025
Building a Trustworthy Tech Stack. – Gander Social Blog
gandersocial.ca
October 7, 2025 at 6:59 PM
Ahead of her workshop at Elevate Festival later this week, we sat down with our COO Jen to chat about how we’re building a Canadian tech stack that centres privacy, trust, and sovereignty.
gandersocial.ca/blog/buildin...
#ElevateFest2025
gandersocial.ca/blog/buildin...
#ElevateFest2025
Thanks for the write-up Rebecca. We love community news and publications. Grateful for the feature and for the chat.
If you’re on Vancouver Island, pick up the latest issue of Douglas Magazine featuring my article about the new Canadian social network @gandersocial.bsky.social 🪿
www.douglasmagazine.com/find-a-copy/
www.douglasmagazine.com/find-a-copy/
October 2, 2025 at 1:29 PM
Thanks for the write-up Rebecca. We love community news and publications. Grateful for the feature and for the chat.
It’s National Day for Truth and Reconciliation today. We’re a young org and real partnerships take time--especially in a colonial context. We’re doing the work to build trust and learn about Indigenous, Métis & Inuit data sovereignty, disinformation, and agency. Here are resources shaping our work:
September 30, 2025 at 5:07 PM
It’s National Day for Truth and Reconciliation today. We’re a young org and real partnerships take time--especially in a colonial context. We’re doing the work to build trust and learn about Indigenous, Métis & Inuit data sovereignty, disinformation, and agency. Here are resources shaping our work:
Reposted by Gander Social
Have you heard of @gandersocial.bsky.social? Founder Ben Waldman explains how the homegrown social media platform is built to promote our country's values, economy and democracy.
Check out his session at Elevate. Use our promo code MARSELEVATE.
Check out his session at Elevate. Use our promo code MARSELEVATE.
Honk if you like sovereignty! How Gander is building a Canada Strong social media platform
CEO Ben Waldman explains why making a homegrown social network is crucial to safeguarding the country’s values, economy and democracy.
www.thestar.com
September 26, 2025 at 5:26 PM
Have you heard of @gandersocial.bsky.social? Founder Ben Waldman explains how the homegrown social media platform is built to promote our country's values, economy and democracy.
Check out his session at Elevate. Use our promo code MARSELEVATE.
Check out his session at Elevate. Use our promo code MARSELEVATE.
Come on in, take your shoes off, leave them in the foyer (pronounced foy-eh), get comfortable and see what to expect in beta.
We’d post the video here but we got excited -- it's six minutes long.
Watch the video to learn about feeds, nests, and built in bias checks: youtu.be/CGWVN0Atfv4?...
We’d post the video here but we got excited -- it's six minutes long.
Watch the video to learn about feeds, nests, and built in bias checks: youtu.be/CGWVN0Atfv4?...
Gander Social: Highlights from Our First Release
You've been asking in all sorts of creative ways, "where's the aaaaaaaapp?"
And while the development team is toiling away so we can get the platform into the hands of our first Beta testers in…
youtu.be
September 25, 2025 at 5:21 PM
Come on in, take your shoes off, leave them in the foyer (pronounced foy-eh), get comfortable and see what to expect in beta.
We’d post the video here but we got excited -- it's six minutes long.
Watch the video to learn about feeds, nests, and built in bias checks: youtu.be/CGWVN0Atfv4?...
We’d post the video here but we got excited -- it's six minutes long.
Watch the video to learn about feeds, nests, and built in bias checks: youtu.be/CGWVN0Atfv4?...
We asked the Early Access Program what features they want on Gander. Here's the breakdown:
You want control over your feed, flexible ways to share, verification that balances accountability with privacy, and fact-checking tools that make it easier to trust what you see.
You want control over your feed, flexible ways to share, verification that balances accountability with privacy, and fact-checking tools that make it easier to trust what you see.
September 22, 2025 at 6:15 PM
We asked the Early Access Program what features they want on Gander. Here's the breakdown:
You want control over your feed, flexible ways to share, verification that balances accountability with privacy, and fact-checking tools that make it easier to trust what you see.
You want control over your feed, flexible ways to share, verification that balances accountability with privacy, and fact-checking tools that make it easier to trust what you see.
Join our Early Access Program to participate in co-design sessions, be the first to see feature previews, and get first dibs on beta invites by opting in to help us test the platform.
Closed Beta Intake form coming soon!
gandersocial.ca#early-access
Closed Beta Intake form coming soon!
gandersocial.ca#early-access
Gander: The Social Media You Want, Built for Canada
Fun, private, and ethical. We're changing the way social media is done around here, all without your personal data taking an unexpected trip down south.
gandersocial.ca
September 19, 2025 at 7:59 PM
Join our Early Access Program to participate in co-design sessions, be the first to see feature previews, and get first dibs on beta invites by opting in to help us test the platform.
Closed Beta Intake form coming soon!
gandersocial.ca#early-access
Closed Beta Intake form coming soon!
gandersocial.ca#early-access
In June we ran our first participatory design activity with the Early Access Program. We explored four topic areas with you: Canadian identity & inclusion, ads & monetization, trust & autonomy, and engagement & participation.
Read about it on our blog: gandersocial.ca/blog/highlig...
Read about it on our blog: gandersocial.ca/blog/highlig...
Highlights From Our First Participatory Design Activity – Gander Social Blog
Alison Pearce
gandersocial.ca
September 19, 2025 at 7:36 PM
In June we ran our first participatory design activity with the Early Access Program. We explored four topic areas with you: Canadian identity & inclusion, ads & monetization, trust & autonomy, and engagement & participation.
Read about it on our blog: gandersocial.ca/blog/highlig...
Read about it on our blog: gandersocial.ca/blog/highlig...
See you at Elevate in October!
Jennifer and Alison (our COO and Head of Community respectively) will be running a workshop on building a tech stack that runs on Canadian values (and servers).
They'll be joined by @vassb.bsky.social from the The Canadian SHIELD Institute.
Jennifer and Alison (our COO and Head of Community respectively) will be running a workshop on building a tech stack that runs on Canadian values (and servers).
They'll be joined by @vassb.bsky.social from the The Canadian SHIELD Institute.
Schedule - Elevate Festival
elevatefestival.ca
September 16, 2025 at 8:28 PM
See you at Elevate in October!
Jennifer and Alison (our COO and Head of Community respectively) will be running a workshop on building a tech stack that runs on Canadian values (and servers).
They'll be joined by @vassb.bsky.social from the The Canadian SHIELD Institute.
Jennifer and Alison (our COO and Head of Community respectively) will be running a workshop on building a tech stack that runs on Canadian values (and servers).
They'll be joined by @vassb.bsky.social from the The Canadian SHIELD Institute.
Canadians log on to platforms built under American rules where hate speech is protected.
In the wake of the assassination of Charlie Kirk and another school shooting in Colorado, days before a nationalist 'Canada First' rally in Toronto, it’s time to enforce our Charter and laws online.
In the wake of the assassination of Charlie Kirk and another school shooting in Colorado, days before a nationalist 'Canada First' rally in Toronto, it’s time to enforce our Charter and laws online.
September 11, 2025 at 8:34 PM
Canadians log on to platforms built under American rules where hate speech is protected.
In the wake of the assassination of Charlie Kirk and another school shooting in Colorado, days before a nationalist 'Canada First' rally in Toronto, it’s time to enforce our Charter and laws online.
In the wake of the assassination of Charlie Kirk and another school shooting in Colorado, days before a nationalist 'Canada First' rally in Toronto, it’s time to enforce our Charter and laws online.
Here’s the DigSov letter to the PM in full for those that haven't seen it yet. Taylor Owen signed so you know it’s legit.
While we always suggest reading the full thing for yourself, we've pulled some choice highlights that are pertinent to our work.
Letter: www.documentcloud.org/documents/26...
While we always suggest reading the full thing for yourself, we've pulled some choice highlights that are pertinent to our work.
Letter: www.documentcloud.org/documents/26...
Open Letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney
www.documentcloud.org
September 10, 2025 at 7:18 PM
Here’s the DigSov letter to the PM in full for those that haven't seen it yet. Taylor Owen signed so you know it’s legit.
While we always suggest reading the full thing for yourself, we've pulled some choice highlights that are pertinent to our work.
Letter: www.documentcloud.org/documents/26...
While we always suggest reading the full thing for yourself, we've pulled some choice highlights that are pertinent to our work.
Letter: www.documentcloud.org/documents/26...
www.thestar.com/opinion/cont...
^Good to see this getting attention.
We’ve had a number of promising meetings with supportive officials, but we’re still navigating old support programs while pressing on with our own limited funds (with help from friends and family).
More 👇
^Good to see this getting attention.
We’ve had a number of promising meetings with supportive officials, but we’re still navigating old support programs while pressing on with our own limited funds (with help from friends and family).
More 👇
Margaret Atwood and others have called on Canada to protect its sovereignty. But is Mark Carney’s minister listening?
Last week, dozens of Canadian public figures wrote a letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney calling on him to do more to protect Canada from external threats.
www.thestar.com
September 10, 2025 at 3:56 PM
www.thestar.com/opinion/cont...
^Good to see this getting attention.
We’ve had a number of promising meetings with supportive officials, but we’re still navigating old support programs while pressing on with our own limited funds (with help from friends and family).
More 👇
^Good to see this getting attention.
We’ve had a number of promising meetings with supportive officials, but we’re still navigating old support programs while pressing on with our own limited funds (with help from friends and family).
More 👇
Where’s Gander? We’re on it! Been a busy, heads down kinda summer, but this is a quick update. August Closed Beta has moved to September, but we still have plans to open up more broadly end of October. More to come!
August 25, 2025 at 10:16 PM
Where’s Gander? We’re on it! Been a busy, heads down kinda summer, but this is a quick update. August Closed Beta has moved to September, but we still have plans to open up more broadly end of October. More to come!