Emerging Social Network Pledges Not to Sell User Data—Reaches 2.5 Million Users

Following the change in TikTok's U.S. ownership, the alternative social network UpScrolled has announced a surge in registrations, with its user base now exceeding 2.5 million.

This social network, which blends elements of Instagram and X, markets itself on inclusivity and a policy of not selling user data to advertisers. According to founder Issam Hijazi, users are rarely banned or subjected to censorship.

Since its launch in mid-2025, UpScrolled grew to approximately 150,000 users by January 2026. The platform experienced its first significant growth spurt last month, coinciding with the sale of TikTok's U.S. operations to a consortium that includes investors such as Oracle, Silver Lake, and MGX.

Data from the app intelligence platform AppMagic indicates the application was downloaded 3.2 million times in January, representing a near 9,000% increase from the previous month.

"They don't care about selling your data to others if it brings profit. They also don't care about your mental health, as they design features to be addictive as long as it benefits them," Hijazi stated during the Qatar Web Summit.

UpScrolled aims to be a platform for everyone, which has also made it a haven for pornography, nudity, and other content typically blocked on rival social networks. Hijazi mentioned he is assembling a team of experts to develop community guidelines that comply with regional laws and ethical standards, although he hopes these rules will be more lenient than Meta's approach.

TikTok Acquisition Fuels Rival Growth

The acquisition of TikTok's U.S. business has raised concerns among some users regarding content governance, particularly following pressure from the Trump administration on the investors to finalize the deal. Oracle co-founder and chairman Larry Ellison is a friend of former President Trump, who also has ties to MGX through investments in his family's cryptocurrency firm.

TikTok's parent company, ByteDance, will retain a 19.9% stake in the U.S. operation and license its recommendation algorithm to the new owners. User data will be collected and processed in Oracle data centers within the U.S., a measure the Trump administration claims will prevent state intervention from China.

Similar shifts in user behavior have occurred multiple times following policy or product changes on major platforms. Recently, millions of users migrated from X to Mastodon after Elon Musk's acquisition of the company, with further millions moving to Bluesky and Threads after their policy updates. In 2025, additional user exodus occurred due to a failed chatbot initiative, the resignation of its former CEO, and an ensuing EU investigation.

Establishing a Foothold in the Social App Market

Many attempts have been made to enter the social app market over the past five years. TikTok has been the most successful, with its short-video format being imitated by Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat. Following Musk's acquisition of Twitter, Threads and Bluesky also capitalized on shifting user preferences by positioning themselves as microblogging alternatives.

However, failures in the market have outnumbered successes. Pandemic-era hits like Houseparty and Clubhouse failed to retain users post-pandemic. BeReal attracted millions with its once-daily posting concept but struggled to maintain momentum, while apps like Lemon8 and Rednote cultivated niche audiences but failed to break into the mainstream.