Germ Network

Allow us to reintroduce ourselves. In advance of some exciting updates this fall, we thought we'd share more about our team of cofounders and advisors. Because we know that trusting our technology means trusting the folks building it, too :) Up now on our blog. https://lnkd.in/gpKmr-Bx

When you're advised by the literal definition of a cryptographer 🔐 👏

¡Hola! Bonjour! Hallo! Germ is now available in Mexico and Europe. You can now chat with fellow iOS Germ users across North America, the EU, and the EFTA. Our app is in English, but your conversation might not be — we won't know, because we don’t spy on you :) Germ lets you start a secure chat with anyone, just by sharing a link or showing a QR code. Our temporary app even auto-launches on your new friend’s phone, without taking them through the App Store. So you can get to chatting faster — however you say hello.

This week in Tech Policy Press, our cofounder Tessa Brown argues that algorithmic social media environments create over-worn social paths that weaken our ability to connect organically and, at worst, put us and especially our youth in danger. Check out the piece below and let us know what you think. https://lnkd.in/g-BZKCSq #socialmedia #trustandsafety #mentalhealth #boundaries #privacy #encryption

Happy Pride from Germ and our queer co-founder Tessa! In the queer community, we know boundaries are sexy. Last night's All-Gender Queer Speed Dating was a celebration of new friends, direct communication, and safer digital sharing. Wishing everyone a celebratory and safe Pride weekend here in SF and beyond. 💚🌈🧚♂️

This Thursday in SF, join us for queer speed dating! Kick off Pride Weekend with new friends, LA techno, and a specialty house cocktail from the bartenders at Zhuzh. Germ is for everyone! All genders and sexualities welcome, and reach out for free tix. RSVP below! #queer #queerintech #SFPride #SFevents #e2ee #startups https://lu.ma/vj31l4nc

Thank you to our advisors and friends who joined us to talk about the future of trusted communications! We appreciate the trust you put in us and your excitement for the new ways Germ empowers people to control their visibility and discoverability online. Some of the moments that are staying with us from this conversation are… - Tom Siegel encouraging us to give power to individuals and groups as online communication has become more risky - Ilyse Hogue reflecting on the security risks of working in the reproductive rights world - Richard Barnes reminding us that in security, “something you trust is something that can betray you” - Nick Sullivan reflecting on using cryptography to make the internet a safer place - Riana Pfefferkorn reminding us that privacy is “indispensable to letting people just live their lives” - and Jon Fernandez reflecting that control of data is essential to maintaining a trusted brand Thank you to our guests who mostly opted out of the group photo which is cool, because we <3 consent #security #privacy #e2ee #protocols #startup #trustissues

🤔 AI agents, digital twins, robocalls, hallucinations? In this environment, what is the future of trusted communications? This Thursday, join Germ's cofounders Mark Xue and Tessa Brown to discuss the future of communication with our Advisory Board: Tom Siegel - CEO Trust Lab, 1st VP of Trust & Safety at Google Ilyse Hogue - former President of NARAL Pro-Choice America Richard Barnes - Cisco distinguished engineer, MLS and HPKE coauthor Nick Sullivan - cryptographer, founded Cloudflare Research, MLS and TLS contributor Riana Pfefferkorn - end-to-end encryption policy expert at Stanford Jon Fernandez - COO Yale Investments Office (and missing Micah Schaffer, T&S leader and early T&S leader at Snap and Youtube) RSVP link is in the comments. Hope to see you there! #webinar #trust #messaging #security #e2ee #protocols

Today, we’re thrilled to announce Germ DM 2.0, the culmination of our 1:1 messaging prototype. With new UI/UX, multi-use invites, and significant reliability updates, this is our most polished messenger yet. We can’t wait to hear your feedback as we continue building to group messaging on the MLS protocol, productivity and events tools, and beyond. We’re celebrating with 3 events this month—so you can join us online, in person, or in person and GAY to learn more about our product and meet us and our community — all linked in the comments below! 👟 Wednesday, June 12 - 6pm PT TechWalk with our cofounders Tessa and Mark at Shoreline Park in Mountain View - yes, we’re really walking! 👩💻 Thursday, June 20 - 10am PT Webinar with our incredible Advisory Board, asking “What is the future of trusted communications?” - yes, these superstars are really our advisors! 🌈 Thursday, June 27 - 5:30pm PT All-Gender Queer Speed Dating at Zhuzh Bar in San Francisco - because yes, our CEO is gay and maybe so are you! But first, a bit more about our 2.0 — with a few more details on our blog. Germ lets you share what you want to, when you need to—starting with secure DMs. Germ DM lets you build and share multiple profiles for 1:1 end-to-end encrypted text messaging, available for all iPhones running iOS 16 or later. Whether you’re connecting with a new dog walker, a prospective client, or a first date, Germ lets you control exactly what you share and how people can find you. That means no phone numbers, anywhere. Here’s some of what you can do in Germ DM: 👋🏽 Show up as yourselves: build up to 3 profile cards with a name, photo, and pronouns, and edit them over time 📲Connect instantly: share a QR code or send a link to open a new secure chat with any iPhone — it even launches automatically on phones without Germ installed, via our App Clip 🔕 Focus on what matters: Control notifications by individual friend or by which profile card you shared 🎭 Set the tone: Vibe in light or dark mode 📇 Remember your friends: Annotate your friends’ cards to remember how you know them 🔑 Manage your accessibility: Connect with a 1-time QR code, or share a link that can be used up to 100 times. This is edge computing, driven by real everyday needs. We hope to meet you online or in person this month and beyond. - Tessa and Mark #E2EE #SFEvents #WWDC #messaging #startups #launch

On the peninsula or in town for #WWDC? Let's take a walk! Join our cofounders Mark Xue and Tessa Brown for the June 12 evening TechWalk at Shoreline Park in Mountain View. We'd love to show you what we're building at Germ and meet other folks working in end-to-end encryption, iOS development, and consumer apps. RSVP below!