UpScrolled

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. 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. 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.” 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. Dhow's BDS Portfolio Checker reveals what's hidden inside your stocks, ETFs, and funds, the first step toward what its founders call a circular Muslim economy. HASAN.VC Ends Fund I Accelerator After Backing 120 Startups Across 10 Countries Cohort 004's Demo Day in Bandung marks the end of HASAN.VC's accelerator under Fund I, with a new fundraising round already underway. Shoaib Ahmed, the former president of Tally Solutions who spent over three decades shaping India's software products industry, died on June 28, 2026, in Bengaluru. He was 62. Ahmed had served as President of Tally Solutions, the country's dominant financial ERP platform, and was widely remembered