UpScrolled Downloads Surge After TikTok US Takeover
▼ Summary
– Following TikTok’s U.S. ownership change, some users are migrating to alternative platforms like UpScrolled, which pledges political impartiality and is currently ranked 12th overall in Apple’s App Store.
– UpScrolled is a social network founded by Issam Hijazi that combines features from Instagram and X, aiming to be a user-controlled platform free from hidden algorithms or outside agendas.
– The app has experienced a massive surge in downloads, with approximately 41,000 installs in the three days after the TikTok deal, representing a 2,850% increase in its daily download rate.
– User concerns driving the shift include worries about TikTok’s new U.S. investors having political allegiances and accusations of content censorship, alongside privacy policy changes allowing location tracking.
– Other apps like Skylight are also seeing growth, but UpScrolled’s team is actively scaling its infrastructure to manage the rapid influx of new users.
A recent shift in TikTok’s ownership structure within the United States has prompted a notable migration of users exploring other social media options. Among the beneficiaries is UpScrolled, an application experiencing a dramatic spike in downloads as it positions itself as a politically neutral platform focused on user control. The app has quickly climbed the charts, now holding the 12th overall position in Apple’s App Store and ranking second specifically within the social networking category.
This platform combines elements popularized by other networks, allowing for photo, video, and text updates alongside content discovery and private messaging. It was launched last year by Issam Hijazi, a technologist with Palestinian, Jordanian, and Australian heritage. The stated mission from its inception has been to provide a digital space for free expression and connection, deliberately distanced from opaque algorithms and external political influences.
Hijazi has framed UpScrolled as more than just another app. He describes it as the cornerstone of a new digital ecosystem designed to return authority to users rather than corporate entities. In his view, it reimagines social media as an environment where creators and communities can operate with genuine autonomy, supported by principles of transparency and accountability.
The timing of its growth is significant. Data from market intelligence firm Appfigures shows that in the three days following the finalization of TikTok’s U.S. deal, UpScrolled garnered roughly 41,000 new downloads. This figure represents nearly a third of its total lifetime installs. Daily download averages skyrocketed by approximately 2,850%, settling at around 14,000 per day post-announcement. To date, total downloads have reached 140,000, with U.S. installations accounting for 75,000 of that sum.
This influx has tested the small team behind the app. They acknowledged the strain on their systems in a public post, humorously noting that user arrival was so rapid it overwhelmed their servers. The team committed to scaling operations quickly to manage the unexpected demand.
The catalyst for this movement stems from TikTok’s restructuring. Last week, the platform confirmed a deal creating a majority American-owned joint venture, significantly reducing the stake held by its Chinese parent company, ByteDance. New managing investors include Oracle, private equity firm Silver Lake, and Abu Dhabi’s MGX. This change has sparked unease among some users regarding potential political biases of the new American investors, with specific worries about allegiances to former President Trump.
Further fueling the exodus, some high-profile users, including Senator Chris Murphy and musician Billie Eilish, publicly accused TikTok of suppressing content critical of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Others reported difficulties searching for information about protests in Minneapolis. TikTok attributed these problems to a technical data center outage, not policy.
Additional privacy concerns emerged when TikTok updated its policy to permit the collection of user GPS coordinates. This prompted calls to abandon the app, with many advocates pointing to alternatives like UpScrolled. Its appeal is bolstered by a public pledge to avoid shadowbanning and to ensure every post receives equitable visibility.
UpScrolled is not alone in capitalizing on this moment. Another service named Skylight, which is built on open-source technology, also reports accelerated growth, having surpassed 380,000 user sign-ups.
(Source: TechCrunch)
