TikTok Users Flock to UpScrolled After US Ban
▼ Summary
– TikTok’s potential US ban has led users to migrate to a new alternative social platform called UpScrolled.
– UpScrolled was founded in 2025 by Issam Hijazi with a mission to support free expression and fair visibility for all posts.
– The platform promises impartiality, no shadowbanning, and a commitment to social responsibility.
– Its interface combines elements of Instagram and X, supporting photos, videos, text posts, and private messaging.
– This mirrors past migrations, such as users moving to RedNote after a TikTok ban or to Bluesky and Mastodon from X.
The recent legislative action targeting TikTok in the United States has triggered a significant migration of users seeking new digital spaces. This shift has propelled a relatively new platform, UpScrolled, into the spotlight, where it is now grappling with a sudden and overwhelming surge in new registrations. The app, accessible on both major mobile operating systems, has rapidly climbed the charts to secure the 12th position in Apple’s App Store rankings, a clear indicator of its newfound popularity amidst the uncertainty surrounding more established networks.
Founded in 2025 by technologist Issam Hijazi, UpScrolled was built on a principle of fostering open expression. The platform’s stated mission is to empower users to share their thoughts freely while guaranteeing that every piece of content receives equitable visibility in user feeds. According to its official website, UpScrolled commits to maintaining political impartiality, explicitly promising not to engage in shadowbanning, a practice where content is secretly suppressed, while still pledging to uphold standards of social responsibility. In terms of design, the app presents a familiar hybrid interface, blending visual elements reminiscent of Instagram with the textual feed style of platforms like X, supporting a mix of photo, video, and text posts alongside private messaging capabilities.
This phenomenon of mass user migration is not without precedent in the social media landscape. The previous year’s discussions around a potential TikTok ban saw a similar exodus, with many creators and users turning to alternatives such as RedNote. Concurrently, other decentralized or independent networks like Bluesky and Mastodon have consistently attracted users looking for alternatives to the dominant platforms, suggesting a growing appetite for diverse online communities less subject to the policies of a single corporate entity. The rapid rise of UpScrolled appears to be the latest chapter in this ongoing trend of digital diversification.
(Source: The Verge)
