UpScrolled: The rise of alternative social media platforms is here

The rise of alternative social media platforms Is here

- WESLEY DIPHOKO

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.