Story perspectives

UpScrolled Soars as TikTok Users Flee Censorship

2/2/2026

Summary

Story summary

Following TikTok's transition to majority American ownership, UpScrolled, founded by Issam Hijazi, gained traction as a transparent alternative.
Reports indicate TikTok faced backlash for restricting sensitive content, including posts about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Palestinian journalist Bisan Owda's account was banned, igniting accusations of political censorship.
As TikTok users flee, UpScrolled's downloads surged from 40,000 to over a million in just days, signaling a shift in user preferences amid censorship debates.

History

Historical Context

Since 2016, U.S. scrutiny of TikTok, owned by China's ByteDance, intensified due to national security concerns over data privacy and content moderation. In 2024, Congress passed the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, mandating TikTok's divestiture. This legislation reflects ongoing debates about censorship and free speech, particularly regarding the platform's perceived bias in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, as user preferences shift towards alternatives like UpScrolled.

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Story summary

Following TikTok's transition to majority American ownership, UpScrolled, founded by Issam Hijazi, gained traction as a transparent alternative.
Reports indicate TikTok faced backlash for restricting sensitive content, including posts about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Palestinian journalist Bisan Owda's account was banned, igniting accusations of political censorship.
As TikTok users flee, UpScrolled's downloads surged from 40,000 to over a million in just days, signaling a shift in user preferences amid censorship debates.

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