TogetherNet is an open‑source platform that enables groups of ten or fewer participants to create community archives using consent‑driven workflows. Built around data transparency, the software translates digital‑rights policies into practical, user‑centered experiences, allowing communities to document and share information while maintaining control over their data.
Funding
Funding not disclosed
Founders
Product
Problem
Small groups often lack tools that allow them to collaboratively create shared archives while ensuring explicit consent and transparent data handling, making it difficult to comply with digital‑rights regulations such as the GDPR.
Solution
TogetherNet is an open‑source platform that lets groups of up to ten participants build community archives through consent‑driven workflows. The software separates transient conversation (Ephemeral Channel) from permanent records (Archival Channel), giving users clear control over what is saved. Archived messages appear as meeting notes that can be commented on, downloaded as HTML, or revoked via a built‑in Revoke Consent feature. By embedding consent prompts and data‑transparency cues into the user interface, the system operationalizes digital‑rights policies as concrete software practices rather than abstract legal requirements.
Target Audience
Primary users are small community groups, activist collectives, and research teams that need a collaborative archiving tool aligned with GDPR‑style consent and transparency requirements.
Features
- Dual‑mode communication with an Ephemeral Channel for private, non‑recorded chat and an Archival Channel for consent‑based message storage
- Revoke Consent function that allows participants to delete archived content after it has been saved
- Automatic generation of meeting‑note style archives with comment threads and HTML export capability
- Open‑source codebase that serves as both a technical tool and a moral framework for data transparency
- Designed for accessibility with audio, visual, and text‑only navigation options and a published VPAT