Why fed-up TikTok users are quietly moving to UpScrolled

Why fed-up TikTok users are quietly moving to UpScrolled

For years, TikTok has been the internet’s loudest room, chaotic, creative, addictive. But lately, that room has started to feel strangely muted. Videos disappear without explanation. Accounts get flagged. Engagement drops overnight. And for many users, especially those posting political or humanitarian content, the frustration has boiled over.

Now, a growing number of creators and everyday users are packing up and trying something new: UpScrolled, a social media app that promises what TikTok users say they’re no longer getting, transparency, reach, and freedom to speak without shadowbans.

The breaking point for TikTok users

Complaints about TikTok aren’t new, but they’ve intensified in recent weeks. Users report unexplained “violations,” sudden drops in views, and glitches affecting politically sensitive videos, particularly content critical of US immigration enforcement or President Donald Trump.

The timing hasn’t helped. TikTok’s ownership structure, long under scrutiny by US authorities, officially shifted on 22 January when the app became majority-owned by US-backed investors and companies, including Oracle. ByteDance, the Chinese tech firm that built TikTok, still holds about a 20% stake.

Almost immediately after the transition, some creators, celebrities, and regular users deleted the app altogether, saying the new terms of service felt more restrictive and that content moderation had become heavier and less predictable.

On social media, the mood has been blunt: “I don’t know what rule I broke, and neither does TikTok.”

Enter UpScrolled: “No shadowbans, no censorship”

UpScrolled launched last year, but it’s only now entering the mainstream conversation. The app was founded by Palestinian-Jordanian-Australian technologist Issam Hijazi, who previously worked at IBM and Oracle, a detail that’s caught the attention of users wary of big-tech politics.

UpScrolled markets itself clearly and unapologetically. On its website, the platform says it was built in response to growing demands for trust, transparency, and authenticity in social media.

That message is resonating. At the time of publishing, the app sits at number 2 on the Apple App Store and number 8 on the Google Play Store, a remarkable climb for a relatively new platform.

A rare space for uncomfortable conversations

One of UpScrolled’s biggest points of difference is its “Global Awareness” category, a dedicated space for discussions around humanitarian crises and global conflicts.

Users are openly posting about Palestine, Sudan, and Congo, topics many feel are quietly suppressed or deprioritised on larger platforms. In a digital landscape where algorithms often decide what’s “safe” or “advertiser-friendly,” that openness feels radical.

For users in South Africa and across the Global South, this hits close to home. Conversations about war, displacement, and global inequality often struggle for visibility on mainstream platforms. UpScrolled’s structure makes space for them instead of burying them.

What the app actually feels like

Using UpScrolled feels oddly familiar, in a good way. The feed resembles early Instagram, back when people posted casually rather than performing for an algorithm. It’s less polished, less curated, and more human.

There are no AI moderators at this stage. Instead, content moderation is handled by real people. If you see something you don’t like, the platform encourages users to report and block, allowing human moderators to step in.

The app is organised into clear topic categories, including sports, news, politics, film, tech, music, food, culture, science, books, and more. The breadth makes it feel less like a niche protest app and more like a genuine attempt at a full social ecosystem.

Posting is simple: tap the plus sign to share text, photos, or video. Notifications show follows, mentions, and comment likes no confusing layers, no hidden metrics.

That said, it’s still early days. Because the platform has grown so fast, your feed may feel random or unfamiliar at first. It hasn’t fully found its rhythm yet but many users say that’s part of the charm.

Is this a TikTok replacement or a protest vote?

Right now, UpScrolled feels less like a TikTok killer and more like a pressure valve, a place people go when they’re tired of feeling silenced or manipulated by algorithms they don’t understand.

On X and TikTok itself, users describe UpScrolled as “refreshing,” “chaotic,” and “finally honest.” Others are more cautious, noting that no platform stays censorship-free forever once it scales.

Still, the message behind the migration is clear: people are exhausted by opaque moderation, corporate influence, and constantly shifting rules.

The bigger picture

Every few years, social media users revolt, not loudly, but gradually. They leave in drips, not floods. UpScrolled’s sudden rise suggests this may be one of those moments.

Whether it lasts or not, the app has tapped into something real: a global appetite for platforms that trust users instead of policing them into silence.

And if nothing else, it’s forcing a conversation that TikTok and other giants can’t afford to ignore much longer.

{Source: IOL}

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