iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Gander Social @gandersocial.ca · 26/09/2026

Running dark mode through its paces. Or, as one member of the Gander team described it: “The cozy kind of dark mode.” Right in time for fall.

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Gander Social @gandersocial.ca · 25/09/2026

Groups are coming to Gander. (Once we are done testing them). Open and invite-only communities + cozier spaces for your closest people. They'll even be able to share into the main Gander feed. We’re following the ATProto Spaces alpha design, interop groups are the goal.

Mock-up of the Gander Groups interface showing the “Buy Nothing Canmore” public group. The page lists 3.2K members and 43.7K posts, with a description inviting Canmore neighbours to give away and find free items. Below, a group post offers a solid wood coffee table for free pickup.

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Gander Social @gandersocial.ca · 17/09/2026

Well worth a minute of your time to watch this. This is pretty much why there’s a Gander. A quick note on "sovereignty" in the context of this speech: We want to be governed by Canadian law. We don’t want the power of government. Nobody elected us.

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Gander Social @gandersocial.ca · 15/09/2026

Hi everyone -- we’re experiencing an outage on Gander right now. We're on it and will let you know as soon as we're back.

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Reposted by Gander Social

Jason G. Butterfield @jasonbu.online · 06/09/2026

I’ve been spending a little more time on @gandersocial.ca . The feed feels different. People tell stories. Founders answer questions. Bugs get called bugs. Chapman’s posts about ice cream. I wrote about why that matters to me, and why digital sovereignty is more than where we park the servers.

jasonbu.online

A Canadian Social Network Is Not the Point

Taking a break from algorithmic sludge, and finding a small Canadian corner of the internet that still feels human (actual humans).

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Reposted by Gander Social

Be Colour Productions @becolourofficial.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

Episode 11 of 49 Clicks featuring special guest Ben Waldman, co-founder and CEO of @gandersocial.ca , is now live! 🍁 youtu.be/8V6oaMo3lEQ?...

youtu.be

49 Clicks Podcast Episode 11: Special Guest Ben Waldman - Gander

YouTube video by Bailey Colors

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Gander Social @gandersocial.ca · 04/09/2026

We wrote this op-ed back when the whole Lake Ontario thing was popping off, which is like a million years ago on the gish gallop timeline. Anyway, @vassb.bsky.social beat us to it with a brilliant piece in the Globe. And since sunk cost fallacies are a thing: gandersocial.ca/putting-cana...

gandersocial.ca

Putting Canada’s Digital Sovereignty on the Map - Gander

We wrote this op-ed back when the whole lake thing was popping off and sent it around in hopes of getting it published. Vass Bednar beat us to the punch. And we’re glad she did. She wrote a brilliant ...

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Gander Social @gandersocial.ca · 02/09/2026

'Like all social media, these services will succeed only if there is sufficient uptake. If our institutions threw their weight around, it could hasten an exodus from platforms owned by Trump’s loyal servants and push Canadians toward more democratic online spaces.' Preach, Justin.

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Gander Social @gandersocial.ca · 18/08/2026

Of course we’re proud to help Tod get his Moose Farts. And we’re overjoyed to help our namesake and commemorate an extraordinary four days of human kindness.

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Gander Social @gandersocial.ca · 10/08/2026

Thanks for having us, Michael. Appreciate you reading the privacy policy too. We got into the fine details and all the nuance that goes into infrastructure, moderation, verification, privacy, and everything else that comes with the territory.

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Gander Social @gandersocial.ca · 06/08/2026

While we’ve been building Gander, people have asked us to make browsers, music players, phones, payment systems, app stores… basically 2/3rds of the internet. We appreciate the confidence. Truly. But we’ve got our hands full. The Canadian Shield Institute mapped out a day without American tech.

canadianshieldinstitute.ca

A Day in the Life Without American Tech | Canadian Shield Institute

What would happen if overnight we suddenly lost all access to American tech? Nobody is saying that we’d ever wake up one morning and find all...

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Gander Social @gandersocial.ca · 04/08/2026

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!

gandersocial.ca

Oh yeah. We just published our first Benefit Report.

Grab the Gander Social Benefit Report 2025-2026

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Gander Social @gandersocial.ca · 17/07/2026

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?

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Gander Social @gandersocial.ca · 16/07/2026

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...

youtube.com

House Hippo

YouTube video by ccacanada

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Gander Social @gandersocial.ca · 01/07/2026

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.

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Gander Social @gandersocial.ca · 30/06/2026

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.

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Gander Social @gandersocial.ca · 30/06/2026

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.

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Gander Social @gandersocial.ca · 29/06/2026

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.

theglobeandmail.com

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

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Gander Social @gandersocial.ca · 25/06/2026

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...

gandersocial.ca

Peace, Order, and (Good) Platform Governance - Gander Social Blog

Moderation is one of those things people don’t really notice when it is working. Well. A few do. Usually when they start hurling slurs around and find out that their post got removed. Or if the accoun...

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Gander Social @gandersocial.ca · 19/06/2026

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.

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Gander Social @gandersocial.ca · 08/06/2026

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. 👇

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Gander Social @gandersocial.ca · 07/06/2026

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

Minimalist editorial-style graphic featuring the statement “Platforms should only collect the data they actually need.” in bold black typography on a light grey background with a clean, modern editorial layout.

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Gander Social @gandersocial.ca · 05/06/2026

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?

Minimalist editorial-style graphic featuring the statement “The safest sensitive data is data a platform never collects.” in bold black typography on a light grey background with generous white space.

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Gander Social @gandersocial.ca · 04/06/2026

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

Texte blanc indiquant « Les réseaux sociaux devraient fonctionner pour tout le monde. » sur un fond rouge uni.

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Gander Social @gandersocial.ca · 03/06/2026

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

White text reading “Social should work for everyone.” centred on a solid red background.

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Gander Social @gandersocial.ca · 02/06/2026

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

Minimalist editorial-style graphic featuring the statement “Protecting children online should not require mass surveillance.” in bold black typography on a light grey background with a clean, editorial layout.

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Gander Social @gandersocial.ca · 01/06/2026

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Gander Social @gandersocial.ca · 01/06/2026

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Gander Social @gandersocial.ca · 31/05/2026

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?

Minimalist roadmap card with bold black typography listing recently released Gander features including French language UI, GIF support, Discovery Cards, Sponsored Feed capabilities, and OTP via SMS.

Minimalist roadmap card with bold black typography listing current Gander development priorities including verification, public and private groups, browser version, ethical algorithm updates, FYP v3, Flicks v2, accessibility testing, and a post scheduler.

Minimalist roadmap card with bold black typography outlining upcoming Gander features including accessibility improvements, continued work on groups and browser version, dark mode, and Nests v3.

Minimalist roadmap card with bold black typography showing experimental and exploratory Gander features including threaded posts, post editing, language labels, Indigenous language support, Composer v3, creator tools, ATmosphere interoperability, migration tools, and localization.

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Gander Social @gandersocial.ca · 28/05/2026

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

A minimalist graphic featuring the text “Privacy and safety should advance together.” in large bold black type on a light grey background. The layout uses ample white space and an editorial-style design.

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Gander Social @gandersocial.ca · 28/05/2026

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...

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Gander Social @gandersocial.ca · 27/05/2026

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.

luma.com

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…

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Gander Social @gandersocial.ca · 26/05/2026

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.

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Gander Social @gandersocial.ca · 25/05/2026

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.

Black BetaKit Most Ambitious graphic naming Gander Social, based in Ottawa, Ontario, as a 2026 honouree. Presented by Uber, DMZ, and National Bank of Canada.

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Gander Social @gandersocial.ca · 23/05/2026

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

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Gander Social @gandersocial.ca · 22/05/2026

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.

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Gander Social @gandersocial.ca · 21/05/2026

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!

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Gander Social @gandersocial.ca · 21/05/2026

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.

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Gander Social @gandersocial.ca · 20/05/2026

For most people, it’s getting harder to tell credible reporting from complete nonsense. That’s why we show publisher reputation on shared news links using Media Bias/Fact Check. Will it solve the scourge of disinfo? Heck no. But at least it gives our users a fighting chance.

A Gander Social interface mockup showing a smartphone displaying a news article preview with publisher reputation and political bias labels. Text beside the phone explains that users can see where stories come from, understand sources at a glance, and view credibility and bias information before sharing or engaging with news content.

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Gander Social @gandersocial.ca · 19/05/2026

This Hour Has 22 Minutes is on Gander. So if you joined the Early Access Program and haven’t checked your inbox lately… now might be the time. 🇨🇦 Your problem uncle is probably not there. You’re good.

Smartphone mockup showing a post from This Hour Has 22 Minutes on Gander. Beside the phone, large text reads: “22 Minutes is on Gander. Because your uncle’s Facebook comments got out of hand.” Minimal black typography on a light-grey background.

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Gander Social @gandersocial.ca · 16/05/2026

Save it for later… or share it with someone now. With Boards, keep the things that matter. Posts, thoughts, videos, or that one meme meant for exactly one person. You can keep boards private, or share them with your pals.

Board: Gander’s Boards feature displayed on a phone with saved collections for recipes, family, dogs, and memes. Text reads: “Board. A place to pin recipes you’ll totally never make.”

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