TechCrunch Startup News Germ brings end-to-end encrypted messages to Bluesky
Aug 6, 2025
A new app called Germ has launched, enabling users to send end-to-end encrypted messages on Bluesky. The founders share their motivation behind prioritizing user privacy and control in digital communication. Listeners get insights into how innovative security technologies are reshaping social interactions, aiming for enhanced privacy and safety online. This is a significant development in the world of social networks!
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Germ: New Encrypted Messaging Approach
- Germ offers end-to-end encrypted messaging on BlueSky using new technology standards like MLS and ATProto.
- It replaces phone-number-based messaging with secure, identity-authenticated communication on open social platforms.
Encryption Builds Social Trust
- Feeling watched and manipulated damages relationships on social media.
- End-to-end encryption is essential for rebuilding trust and healthy connection in digital communication.
App Clips Enable Instant Secure Chat
- Germ uses Apple's App Clips to run chats without full app installs, enabling instant encrypted messaging on iOS.
- The chat link is a cryptographic key verifying the user's ATProto identity securely and seamlessly.