The UpScrolled platform has emerged as one of the most prominent alternatives to major short video applications, particularly following renewed controversy over the ownership of TikTok and calls by pro-Palestinian users to migrate to platforms free from restrictive controls.
The platform, created by Palestinian Australian software developer Issam Hijazi, has recorded rapid growth across several countries, including the United States, and at one stage reached the top of the Social Networking category on Apple’s App Store.
UpScrolled has been promoted among users in Palestine and across many parts of the world as a direct technical response to censorship and restriction policies enforced by major social media companies. Systematic practices targeting Palestinian content have been documented on these platforms over many years, with a marked escalation during the recent genocidal war against the Gaza Strip.
Launch of the application
Hijazi founded the platform in late 2023 and early 2024 in response to content suppression and the silencing of pro-Palestinian voices during the first months of Israel’s war on Gaza. The official public launch, however, took place in mid 2025.
Behind the project stands Hijazi, a Palestinian-Australian developer with extensive professional experience at major technology firms. The idea for UpScrolled emerged after his personal accounts were suspended and after he lost dozens of family members in Gaza, prompting him to create a digital space free from political agendas and external control.
The application is designed for sharing short-form video content and positions itself as a direct competitor to TikTok and Instagram Reels, with a fundamental difference in how its algorithms operate, according to Anadolu Agency.
While dominant platforms rely on algorithms that suppress what is deemed sensitive or political content, often under external pressure, UpScrolled employs a fair distribution system that allows content to reach audiences based on genuine interest and engagement. This approach avoids censorship or keyword bans related to humanitarian and political issues.
Within a matter of months, the application achieved what observers described as extraordinary results in the technology sector. It entered the list of most downloaded apps on both the Apple App Store and Google Play, ranking eleventh in the United States and twelfth in the United Kingdom.
The platform does not present itself merely as an entertainment tool. It seeks to entrench the concept of digital democracy, a slogan consistently advanced by Hijazi through the application, grounded in the principle that the Palestinian voice will not be silenced, while extending this vision to all communities marginalised in digital spaces.
Issam Hijazi
Hijazi’s social media profiles describe him as a Palestinian Jordanian Australian software developer who previously worked for technology giants such as Oracle and IBM. The company also receives support from Tech for Palestine, a project that funds technology initiatives supporting the Palestinian cause.
In an interview with the technology-focused news outlet Rest of World, Hijazi said the decision to leave major technology firms and build an alternative platform was inspired by Israel’s war on Gaza, which a United Nations commission of inquiry described as genocide.
He explained that the level of content moderation on mainstream applications was a central factor in his decision, stating, “I could not tolerate it any longer. I lost members of my family in Gaza, and I did not want to be complicit. I told myself, enough. I want to feel that I am doing something useful.”
He added: “I identified a gap in the market. People were asking why there was no alternative to big tech platforms where their content was being censored. I thought, why not build our own platform. I rolled up my sleeves and built it myself.”
In a report released last year, the United Nations Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese accused IBM and other major technology companies of complicity in what she described as Israeli genocide. Social media platforms such as Instagram, X, and TikTok have also faced accusations of shadow-banning users who post pro-Palestinian content.
Hijazi said UpScrolled monitors only illegal content, such as drug sales, and nothing beyond that. He added that the platform’s algorithm is not designed to push users into endless scrolling, unlike TikTok and similar applications.
“It is not that we do not know how,” Hijazi said. “It is very easy to design algorithms that do that. But I do not want to do it because I understand its psychological impact on people, especially young people.”
The platform noted that its feed still displays content in a fully chronological order, a feature long removed from other major applications despite user complaints. Content on the Discover page is currently ranked by engagement, while the team is experimenting with artificial intelligence to reorganise feeds based on user behaviour.
On its official website, the company states that it aims to provide users with a space “to express their ideas freely, share their moments, and connect with others”. It emphasises that the application belongs to its users, not to hidden algorithms or external agendas.
Rapid expansion
The platform achieved notable growth in a short period. A report by Sensor Tower documented more than 700,000 downloads worldwide since the app’s launch in mid 2025, with around 400,000 of those in the United States alone. The surge coincided with the transfer of TikTok’s US operations to an American-led consortium in early 2026.
At the time of writing, the application ranks fourth globally in the Social Networking category on Apple’s App Store, while downloads on Google Play have exceeded half a million.
Observers say these figures reflect growing global interest in a platform viewed as a new outlet free from censorship pressures. Reports indicate that more than 100,000 new users joined within 24 hours, overwhelming servers and forcing developers to expand capacity to accommodate the influx.
The platform’s popularity has not been limited to Palestinian audiences. It has gained traction across the Arab world and Western countries alike, particularly among advocates of free expression seeking an alternative unencumbered by content restrictions.
Migration calls and debate
Major social media platforms such as X, formerly Twitter, and Instagram have seen a surge in calls urging users to migrate to UpScrolled as a viable alternative to TikTok. These calls intensified after TikTok’s new ownership structure was established through a US-based entity to avert a ban in the United States.
