UpScrolled founder says non‑algorithmic app hit 5 million users as moderation fights heat up

Rapid rise

UpScrolled, a fledgling social app built around a chronological feed and a promise not to sell user data, has crossed the 5 million user mark, its founder Issam Hijazi tells Wired. It has been reported that Hijazi launched the service after users alleged censorship of pro‑Palestinian content on larger platforms. The pitch is simple and nostalgic: no algorithm deciding what you see, just a time‑ordered stream — and, Hijazi says, a clear pledge against covert suppression of posts that don’t break its rules.

Moderation row

Growth has come fast. Hijazi launched the app solo and watched signups surge after high‑profile content and moderation controversies elsewhere — remember the TikTok/Trump drama? — forcing him to hire quickly and build a moderation apparatus on the fly. But the speed has invited scrutiny. The Anti‑Defamation League alleges UpScrolled isn’t doing enough to curb antisemitic and extremist content, and rival watchdogs want clearer, faster enforcement. Hijazi told Wired he even “personally” disabled Israel as a selectable location on the platform — a move that underlines how political and technical choices are bleeding into product decisions.

The road ahead

So where does UpScrolled go from here? Can a company built on a creed of hands‑off curation scale responsible moderation without becoming what it set out to replace? That’s the tension — and the emotional heart of the story — as one founder scrambles to match staffing, tooling, and policy to millions of real‑world users. The rise of UpScrolled is another chapter in the larger pushback against opaque algorithms; whether it becomes a durable alternative or another flashpoint in the culture wars remains to be seen.

Sources: wired.com