Art & Culture

Why Users Are Leaving TikTok for Palestinian-Owned UpScrolled

BYMille Team

January 29, 2026

If you needed another reminder that billionaires don’t create anything they destroy everything, look no further than the collapse of the TikTok algorithm.

Since TikTok’s acquisition and leadership overhaul, the app has become almost unrecognizable. What was once a chaotic, occasionally brilliant discovery engine now feels tightly controlled and strangely sanitized. Users have flooded social media with complaints about broken feeds and repetitive content. One viral post even joked that their For You Page looked like it had been curated by Netanyahu. Hyperbole aside, the shift has been hard to ignore.

The most alarming change came with TikTok’s updated terms and services. The platform now allows itself to collect deeply sensitive personal data, including citizenship and immigration status, religious beliefs, mental and physical health diagnoses, race, gender identity including whether users are trans or non-binary, and sexual preferences. In a climate marked by ICE crackdowns, mass surveillance, and the criminalization of dissent, this level of data collection feels less like a policy update and more like a warning. For marginalized communities, especially immigrants, activists, and queer users, the risks are very real.

At the same time, moderation rules have shifted dramatically. The word “Zionist” is now classified as hate speech, while Palestinian voices are increasingly restricted or removed. Palestinian journalist and filmmaker Bisan Owda was permanently banned from TikTok just five days after the U.S. acquisition, despite her internationally recognized reporting from Gaza. Her removal became a flashpoint for users who already felt that political speech, particularly around Palestine, was being aggressively silenced.

Unsurprisingly, TikTok usage has taken a hit. Reports suggest a steep decline in engagement following the new leadership and moderation changes, with many users openly searching for alternatives. That is where UpScrolled comes in, a Palestinian-owned social platform that has quickly risen through the download charts as discontent with TikTok grows. The new social media platform reached the number one spot on the U.S. Apple App Store and ranks near the top in other markets as users seek a censorship-free space.

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UpScrolled was launched in June 2025 by Palestinian-Australian entrepreneur Issam Hijazi, a technologist who previously worked at companies including IBM and Oracle. Hijazi created UpScrolled in response to what he saw as increasing censorship of voices online, particularly around Palestine and Gaza, and personal frustration with how mainstream platforms handle content. His goal was to build a platform that does not hide or suppress content based on opaque algorithms or political pressure.

The app supports photos, short-form videos, stories, text posts, and a chronological feed that refuses to manipulate what users see. UpScrolled promises no shadow bans, transparent moderation, and a commitment to user expression rather than corporate agendas. More importantly, the platform offers something Big Tech seems unable or unwilling to provide, trust. Users want platforms where their identities are not quietly logged, categorized, and potentially weaponized. They want spaces where political speech is not selectively punished under the guise of neutrality.

Why Users Are Leaving TikTok for Palestinian-Owned UpScrolled

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Why Users Are Leaving TikTok for Palestinian-Owned UpScrolled

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