UpScrolled: The rise of alternative social media platforms is here

The last week of January 2026 marked a significant moment in the history of technology. As the Chinese owned Tik Tok was taken over by an American subsidiary, an entity owned by Larry Ellison of Oracles and Dell Technologies Michael Dell, an alternative also emerged.

UpScrolled, was developed by a Palestinian Australian tech entrepreneur Issam Hijazi, the social media app is currently ranked No. 1 in the US in the Apple Store among free apps, following ChatGPT, and marketed itself as a place “where every voice gets equal power”.

UpScrolled is a platform for sharing photos, videos, and text. It says its mission is to “always remain impartial to political agendas, conflicts, and unjust views”. It brands itself as a “no-censorship” platform with a focus on free speech. It’s available on iOS and Android.

UpScrolled says it was developed as an alternative to popular Big Tech-run social media platforms such as Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta and Instagram, Elon Musk’s X, and, of course, TikTok. This is an important part since for the first time the hegemony of Big Tech companies has to an extent been shaken. Most social media companies emerge from the US and they have a close relationship with the current US government. As a result of their proximity to the global power there’s a growing distrust of these platforms.

The challenge for most users has been the difficulty of getting alternatives to platforms that have abused their trust. Upscrolled represents a tipping point. This is evident when one looks at the speed at which the company arose through the App store ranks. It’s an impressive development that marks a significant shift.

UpScrolled is not the only TikTok alternative seeing a surge after the US deal. Skylight Social, or Skylight, also saw an uptick, to over 380 000 users, according to a leading media publication, TechCrunch. Backed by Mark Cuban and built on open-source tech, Skylight has over 42 million users.

Having tested Upscrolled, I’m impressed by its user interface which is not too different from modern social media platforms. The conversations are mostly different from what you find from most platforms such as Instagram, X and Tik Tok. It’s clear that it has attracted a community that is passionate about current developments in the Middle East.

In my view, this development also marks the beginning of the internet balkanisation. This is a move from a global internet to a fractionalised network based on location, content and key factors in the world.

UpScrolled was formed by someone who was disturbed by an injustice in the world. He worked for big tech companies. And then the genocide began and  he couldn’t take it anymore. He lost family members in Gaza, and he didn’t want to be complicit. He found a gap in the market, with a lot of people asking why there is no alternative to the Big Tech platforms for their content, which was getting censored. He thought, why don’t we build our own? He just rolled up his sleeves and he built one.

These factors and similar circumstances around the world will influence people to develop platforms that serve their interests. The domination of Big Tech companies is being challenged. Developers need to build for the world that is changing.

Gone are the days of platforms just coming out of just one part of the world. Technology tools are now available to build alternative systems.

Wesley Diphoko is the Editor-In-Chief of FastCompany (SA) magazine.

 *** The views expressed here do not necessarily represent those of Independent Media or IOL.

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