Downloads of the Australian social media app UpScrolled, founded by a Palestinian technologist, surged across the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia over the weekend as TikTok users moved away from the platform following changes to its privacy policy tied to its transition to US-based Zionist billionaire Larry Ellison’s partial ownership.
TikTok users in the United States were shown a pop-up on the app asking them to agree to updated terms of service and a revised privacy policy before continuing to use the platform. The changes followed the transfer of majority ownership from China to a US-based entity after pressure from the US government.
The platform is now operated by TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC, an American-majority corporate entity backed by a group of investors that includes software company Oracle. TikTok announced on January 22 that a $14 billion deal had been finalised.
Shortly after the update, users began shifting to alternative platforms, including UpScrolled, a social media app developed in Australia.
UpScrolled posted on its X account: “We left you alone for 24 hours. You told someone. They told someone. They told everyone. #11 US #12 UK #14 AUS Time to scroll differently.”
The app climbed from number 30 to number 11 on the US App Store within hours. It also reached number 12 on the UK App Store and number 14 on the Australian App Store.
The surge followed concerns over expanded data collection outlined in TikTok’s updated privacy policy and fears of censorship. According to the policy, TikTok now collects location information based on device and network data and can also collect “approximate or precise location information” if users enable location services. Posts criticising Israel are being censored.
The policy states: “We automatically collect certain information from you when you use the Services, including location information about your approximate location based on your device and network information.”
The updated policy also allows TikTok to collect data linked to AI-powered features. The policy says it may collect “AI interactions, including prompts, questions, files, and other types of information that you submit to our AI-powered interfaces, as well as the responses they generate.”
It further notes that metadata linked to AI interactions may include details such as “how, when, where, and by whom” content or prompts were sent.
TikTok has also expanded its advertising data framework. The policy states that advertisers and partners may provide information about users’ activity outside TikTok, including pages visited, purchases, and apps downloaded.
UpScrolled was founded by Issam Hijazi, who also serves as the app’s chief executive officer. Hijazi is a Palestinian- -Australian technologist who has previously lived in Jordan, the UAE, and Singapore.
UpScrolled’s website says the platform allows users to express their views without “censorship, shadowbans, hidden throttling, or pay-to-play favoritism.” It also states that the app does not push political or commercial agendas.
The company is headquartered in Australia, with core servers based in Dublin, Ireland. The platform says it follows community guidelines to keep the space “safe, respectful, and responsible.”
UpScrolled states that user data is not sold to third parties for marketing, profiling, or commercial gain. The platform says data is encrypted and that while advertisements will be introduced later, they will be managed internally without third-party tracking.