In an era dominated by algorithmic feeds and data-driven advertising, a new player has emerged that breaks almost every rule of modern social media. UpScrolled, a platform founded by Issam Hijazi, has rapidly scaled from a solo project to a community of over 5 million users.
Unlike the giants of Silicon Valley, UpScrolled is built on a foundation of explicit ideology and a rejection of the “attention economy.”
A Departure from Big Tech Norms
UpScrolled does not attempt to reinvent the user interface; instead, it mimics the familiarity of Instagram or X to lower the barrier to entry. However, its underlying philosophy is radically different:
- Chronological Feeds: The platform eschews AI-driven algorithms designed to maximize engagement. Instead, users see content in the order it was posted, returning to a model that existed before “addictive” feeds became the industry standard.
- Data Privacy: Hijazi has pledged to protect user data from being sold to marketing firms or commercial enterprises.
- Content Neutrality: The platform was born out of a response to allegations of “shadow-banning” and censorship, particularly regarding pro-Palestinian voices. Hijazi has vowed that the platform will not covertly suppress content, provided it adheres to community guidelines.
The Motivation: From Corporate Tech to Social Mission
Issam Hijazi is not a typical Silicon Valley entrepreneur. With a background at industry titans like IBM and Oracle, his decision to leave the corporate world was driven by ethical concerns.
Hijazi describes a personal turning point triggered by the conflict in Gaza. As a Palestinian, he felt a profound sense of complicity working for tech companies that provide infrastructure and surveillance capabilities to various governments. He saw a vacuum in the market: people wanted to express themselves without fear of algorithmic suppression, but no ethical or reliable alternative existed.
“I felt it was time to give people back control into how they want to express themselves,” Hijazi noted during his interview.
The “TikTok Effect” and Explosive Growth
The platform’s trajectory shifted from a steady climb to a vertical spike in early 2025. Following news regarding the restructuring of TikTok’s US operations, UpScrolled saw a massive influx of users looking for alternatives.
What began as a “one-man show” managing 150,000 users quickly spiraled into a global phenomenon. At one point, the app climbed into the top 10 most downloaded apps in Australia and the UK. This rapid expansion forced Hijazi to pivot from a solo developer to a CEO managing a team of 25, covering engineering, content moderation, and global strategy.
Challenges: Moderation and Monetization
Growth has not come without significant growing pains. As the user base expanded, so did the complexity of managing it:
- Content Moderation: The platform faces intense scrutiny from organizations like the Anti-Defamation League, which has alleged that UpScrolled does not do enough to combat antisemitic and extremist content.
- Bad Actors: With millions of users comes the threat of technical attacks and “bad actors” who attempt to manipulate the platform’s reputation through coordinated misinformation.
- Sustainable Revenue: UpScrolled currently operates on backing from value-aligned angel investors and VCs. To become self-sustaining, Hijazi is exploring several models:
- Subscription services for verified users and organizations.
- Marketplace commissions for small businesses.
- Creator economies where users pay to subscribe to specific content producers.
- Ethical advertising that adheres to the platform’s privacy promises.
Conclusion
UpScrolled represents a growing trend of “ideological social media”—platforms built not just for connection, but as a protest against the perceived biases and data-harvesting practices of Big Tech. Whether it can maintain its core values while scaling to meet the demands of millions remains the platform’s greatest challenge.
