Meet UpScrolled: The Instagram Alternative Promising No Shadowbans or Censorship
At a time when users and activists feel increasingly surveilled, silenced, and sidelined on major social platforms, particularly when expressing criticism of Israel, a new platform has been launched, which promises to be "actually on your side".
Meet UpScrolled, the just-launched Instagram alternative that promises no shadowbanning, no algorithmic manipulation, and no compromises on user freedom. Built by Palestinian-Australian developer Issam Hijazi and supported by the Tech for Palestine Incubator, UpScrolled has officially gone live on Android and iOS, and it's already generating a groundswell of momentum.
Why UpScrolled?
For years, Instagram has been the default platform for creators, activists, and small businesses, despite widespread complaints about suppressed reach, shadowbanning, and inconsistent enforcement. From Palestinian advocacy to Black Lives Matter, and India’s farmer protests, users have reported sudden drops in engagement, unexplained post removals, and account restrictions, often without clear explanations.
“People are ready to leave,” the UpScrolled team states. “Until now, there just wasn’t anywhere to go.”
UpScrolled seeks to change that by offering real chronological feeds with no algorithmic manipulation, transparent moderation with no shadowbanning, a strict no-data-sharing policy that ensures user information won’t be sold to third parties, unbiased algorithms that display posts in chronological order rather than based on engagement hacks, and server hosting in Dublin, Ireland, under strict EU privacy laws.
A Platform for Activists, Creators, and Everyday Users
The app has already been tested with hundreds of users and is now seeing thousands of sign-ups, particularly from creators, activists, and marginalized communities who feel abandoned by mainstream platforms.
“This is your window,” the team emphasizes. “Right now, the platform is still new. You can claim your handle, build a following fast, and have maximum reach before the network scales.”
No More Choosing Between Reach and Integrity
One of UpScrolled’s core promises is that users won’t have to compromise their values for visibility. Artists, small businesses, and activists can grow their audience without feeling complicit in a system that silences dissent.
“Meta will not change. But we can,” the team writes. “We finally have a chance to build a platform that doesn't punish people for caring, protesting, creating, or speaking out.”
While UpScrolled’s design is familiar (resembling Instagram and X), the team says this is just the beginning. Future updates will introduce unique features to differentiate it further.
For now, the focus is on scaling quickly, before Meta’s dominance becomes even harder to challenge.
