UpScrolled hits 2.5 million users amid social media shifts

Social network UpScrolled has surpassed 2.5 million users globally, up from about 150,000 users in early January. This migration of users follows the ownership change of TikTok in the U.S., which occurred in January. During the transition, a consortium of investors including Silver Lake and Oracle took a majority share in TikTok, while ByteDance retained 20% ownership.

According to UpScrolled founder Issam Hijazi, the platform’s growth accelerated within a few days. “We launched about six months ago, and we grew to about 150,000 up until early January. And as of the last few days, we reached over one million users globally. Now, starting today, we surpassed two-and-a-half million users globally,” Hijazi said. The company has not publicly announced any funding, though Hijazi asserted that UpScrolled has been receiving investor interest.

Hijazi attributes this expansion to user dissatisfaction with big tech companies. The founder has publicly criticized these entities, characterizing big tech companies as unethical and selling user data for profit. He has also accused social networks of suppressing pro-Palestinian content and choosing to censor users selectively. Hijazi asserted that these companies prioritize profit over user well-being, stating that they do not care about selling user data or user mental health as long as keeping users addicted remains profitable.

In response, UpScrolled positions itself as an alternative, claiming it does not shadowban—the practice of blocking or partially blocking a user from an online community—or censor its users. While the company claims it does not rely on amplification algorithms—software used to boost or suppress content visibility—to boost or suppress views, it faces challenges regarding content moderation. Users on other platforms have complained about UpScrolled hosting a lot of porn and nudity. Hijazi noted that the company will establish community guidelines to comply with regional laws, and is gathering a team of experts to solidify these rules.

These moderation challenges mirror those of other alternative social networks. For instance, Skylight, an AT Protocol-based social network, also gained attention following the TikTok ownership changes, crossing 380,000 users.

Why it matters

UpScrolled’s rapid growth highlights a trend of users seeking alternatives to established platforms following organizational changes at social networks like TikTok. As users migrate in response to corporate restructuring, new platforms must navigate the transition from initial adoption to long-term user retention and content moderation.