Do you ever feel like HR isn't prominent enough in your day-to-day life? Looking for a reason to invite top-down, NSA-like scrutiny of every employee's behavior? Wait no longer! Canary, an anonymous app for "company chatter," mixes the crankiness of Glassdoor with the hashtaggy-ness of Snapchat, and brings it to your cell phone for gossip on the go.
Basically, you sign up for the app with your work e-mail, you get a verification code, and you're in (easy, of course, but a much higher barrier for entry than most, cementing Canary's place as a grown-up version of Whisper). Then you can scroll through a common feed where you'll see gossip from various other companies — much of which is in French, at least for now — or see a feed specifically from your company. For the time being, there's nothing too juicy. Someone from Thrillist wrote, "Hi!" and someone at Keek had a "great strategy meeting today!" Meanwhile, a disgruntled Frenchman complains of extreme pressure on the sales department.
The app is an intriguing idea for anybody who loves a good office rumor. (We need only for a certain Mr. Sam Biddle to get an account, and your corporate secrets will be published for all to see.) But, while it might be anonymous, it can't possibly be intended to be private or secret in any real way. It seems all too easy to get caught snitching on your colleagues or, worse, your boss. As a Canary user, you'll obviously be the harbinger of danger in the mines — but as this app gets off the ground, it remains to be seen whether you'll be helping fellow employees by spreading internal news efficiently, so people can make informed decisions, or whether you'll simply end up sacrificing yourself and becoming a cautionary tale.