Topline<\/p>\n
Social media app UpScrolled said its servers crashed earlier today because so many new users are downloading the app as it capitalizes on user discontent with TikTok, which has alienated some users who accuse it of censoring anti-Trump videos after spinning off its U.S. operations to a new entity owned by some Trump allies. <\/p>\n
TikTok came under new U.S. ownership last week. (Photo Illustration by Nikolas Kokovlis\/NurPhoto via Getty Images)<\/p>\n
NurPhoto via Getty ImagesKey Facts<\/p>\n
UpScrolled, which supports short-form videos, video editing and text posts, among other features, ranks No. 9 on Apple\u2019s App Store among free apps, one spot above TikTok, and No. 2 on the social networking apps chart as of Monday afternoon.<\/p>\n
UpScrolled said in a post<\/a> on Instagram Monday morning new users \u201cshowed up so fast our servers tapped out,\u201d thanking users for joining while describing itself as an \u201calternative to the platforms that stopped listening to you.\u201d<\/p>\n Users have flocked to UpScrolled amid rising discontent with TikTok, after Trump ally Larry Ellison\u2019s Oracle and other companies<\/a> took over the social media platform\u2019s U.S. operations last week, prompting allegations<\/a> that TikTok is censoring content that criticizes Trump or his administration\u2019s immigration policies.<\/p>\n UpScrolled has advertised itself<\/a> as a platform with \u201cno censorship\u201d and \u201cno shadowbans,\u201d and it has previously called out<\/a> TikTok, Meta and X for \u201ccensoring voices, enforcing biased moderation, and hiding content behind algorithms.\u201d<\/p>\n What Is Upscrolled?<\/p>\n UpScrolled launched in June, founded by Issam Hijazi, who had previously worked at companies including IBM and Oracle. Hijazi, who is Palestinian, Jordanian and Australian, got the idea to create the app in late 2023 when \u201cmeaningful stories disappeared from feeds while misinformation thrived,\u201d according to UpScrolled\u2019s website<\/a>. UpScrolled says it does not push any agendas, \u201cpolitical, commercial, or otherwise,\u201d and that every post has a fair chance to be seen, noting there are no \u201cshadowbans, no hidden throttling, no pay-to-play favoritism\u201d for any posts or creators. Upscrolled says the only posts it restricts are those that violate community guidelines or contain illegal activity, hate speech, bullying or harassment.<\/p>\n How Does The Upscrolled Algorithm Work?<\/p>\n UpScrolled offers users a \u201cfollowing\u201d feed, consisting of posts from people a user follows, and a \u201cdiscover\u201d feed. For the following feed, posts are ordered chronologically with \u201cno manipulation,\u201d UpScrolled says<\/a>. On the discover feed, posts are ordered by likes, comments and reshares with a \u201clight decay over time so fresh content rises, plus a touch of randomness\u201d so all posts have a chance to show up on a user\u2019s feed. <\/p>\n What Do We Know About Tiktok\u2019s New Ownership?<\/p>\n TikTok spun off its U.S. operations into a new entity last week to avoid a ban under a 2024 federal law requiring TikTok to separate its U.S. app from Chinese company ByteDance. Among TikTok\u2019s new owners are Oracle, co-founded by billionaire Trump ally Larry Ellison, as well as Emirati investment company MGX and California-based investment company Silver Lake. The new owners\u2019 apparent ties to Trump have rattled some users, who are also accusing TikTok of censoring posts<\/a> that are critical of Trump or Immigration and Customs Enforcement. TikTok said in a statement<\/a> on X it experienced a power outage at a U.S. data center, which caused posts to take longer to publish and show up in users\u2019 feeds. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., singer Billie Eilish and her brother Finneas O\u2019Connell and more are among those accusing TikTok of censorship, with Murphy calling it a threat to democracy in a post<\/a> on X.<\/p>\n Further Reading<\/p>\n