Gander Social exits beta on Canada Day with 18,000 members, 2,500+ investors, and a pitch for sovereign, privacy-first social media. CEO Ben Waldman cites US annexation threats and data control as inspiration.
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Canadians will have a new place to post Canada Day photos this year. Gander Social, the Canadian-built social media network, plans to roll out its platform nationwide on July 1 after months in beta testing.
The company today announced the full launch, backed by more than 2,500 mostly grassroots investors and thousands of current beta users. Gander markets itself as a more responsible social network: it verifies users to ensure they are human rather than bots, avoids surveillance advertising and the sale of users' personal data, and stores that data within Canada.
“Since May, Gander has quietly grown into a community of more than 18,000 members. On Canada Day, we move to a full national launch, inviting people across the country to join the conversation,” said Ben Waldman, founder and CEO of Gander, in a press release.
Waldman founded Gander in 2025 as a sovereign, Canadian-made alternative to American platforms like Elon Musk’s X or Meta’s Facebook. In an interview with the BetaKit podcast last November, he cited US President Donald Trump’s threats of Canadian annexation and concern over American tech’s near-total control over Canadian data as part of the inspiration for the platform.
The platform has attracted millions in investment from crowd-funders. Early support came from high-profile Canadians Arlene Dickinson and Amber Mac, both of whom have since severed ties with the platform.
Canada recently announced it would seek to ban social media for users under 16, following Australia’s 2025 ban. Gander’s platform would be covered under any such ban, the company has positioned itself as a healthier alternative to US-dominated social media. Gander already requires users to verify they are over 18 to post or chat with other users. In its announcement, the company said it wants to prioritize healthier conversations and communities, and will use the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms to inform its moderation policies.
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