Using Germ DM
This page was last updated on August 27, 2024
This guide explains how Germ’s technology works and how to understand and use our features to protect your experience. Some of our features and ways of interacting may be familiar to you and others may be new. Germ DM is an emerging product that is continually growing in response to your feedback, which we gladly receive by email or in our Discord.
More About Protecting Your Experience on Germ
Germ DM is designed to put you in control of what information you produce, store, and share—for yourself, with other users, and with us, the developer. It puts you in control of how you identify, who can contact you, who can access the information you create, and for how long.
User Agency (aka, Germ Works for You)
Germ’s app takes actions based on directions from you, the user—not from us, its developers (a concept known as “user agency”). You are totally in charge of what you share with others on Germ. When you first download Germ, you are alone. Whatever information you input into cards is stored on your device by the app. You decide how, when, and with whom to share this information. We do not recommend your cards to people, introduce you to people, or collect information about your behavior. We do not spy on you or help others spy on you in any way.
Data Minimisation
Germ is designed on the principle of “data minimisation,” the idea that the best way to protect your data is to produce as little of it as possible. Unlike some other software, Germ does not create or collect personalized data on your in-app usage like how long you spend in the app, what you view or click on, what you scroll past or for how long, and so forth, nor do we know your phone number, e-mail address, location, or other sensitive information that is often collected, analyzed, and sold.
All of the content in Germ is end-to-end encrypted: data is encrypted on your device and decrypted on the recipient’s device; we cannot read it as it travels through our servers, nor can we produce it for anyone else.
Privacy
End-to-end encryption and data minimisation keep your data private and secure from us, the developers, and from third parties. But privacy is also about how you connect with other people in the app, what you share with them, and for how long.
On Germ, other people only know exactly what you tell them. They can only see the information that is on the card you shared with them, and what you sent them in your messages. They cannot see or find your other cards. They cannot see or find the private notes you leave yourself in the app. They do not need to learn your phone number to contact you. They can only talk to you with your continued permission, maintained by keeping your connection with them active (see “Ending a Conversation.”)
Authentication (aka, Knowing Who You’re Talking To)
Germ uses cryptographic technology to help you make sure that the person you’re talking to is who you think they are—whether that is someone you know very well and met in person, or someone you know by how you met online. Germ’s software offers tools to help you remember how closely you know someone and how much you think you should trust them.
Germ has automatic and optional tools to authenticate who you’re talking to. The more of these tools you use, the better you protect your experience:
Exchange single-use card links. If you’re talking to someone who connected with you through a multi-use link, authenticate your connection in person by comparing apps, or by asking them to send you a message somewhere else you know each other.
Annotate your cards with a Nickname
Annotate your connections and your links
Encryption details: If you want to be sure that the end of an end-to-end encrypted conversation is who you think it is, you and the person you’re talking to can compare the Safety Digest in Encryption Details, found via your conversation detail. Both of you should see the same Safety Digest. You shouldn’t compare the digests by exchanging them in the Germ conversation; compare them in person or though another means. If the digests don’t match, then you’re not directly talking to each other. For example, it’s possible that someone’s card was substituted when you initially exchanged them, perhaps if someone forwarded a card to you. To re-establish a trusted channel with your friend, re-exchange cards through a trusted means outside of the Germ app.
Remember, impersonations and scams are rising on every platform. If you haven’t met someone in person, assume they could be different from who they say they are.
Opt-In Research
Most apps spy on you in order to understand you and evolve their products. When we do research, we ask you to participate. Your participation helps us make sure Germ is living our values of agency, accessibility, and utility.
When we conduct research, we ask you to share information about your app usage, but sharing this information does not give us access to your app information. We know exactly what you tell us and nothing else. Participation does not extend beyond the moment of submission.
By participating in our voluntary research, you help us understand and improve Germ for everybody. Thank you in advance!
