UpScrolled Faces Backlash Over Rampant Hate Speech

Moderation, Tech News, Hate Speech
CONTEUDO:

UpScrolled, the social platform that gained significant traction following shifts in U.S. ownership of TikTok, is currently grappling with severe moderation failures. Despite claiming a mission to provide every voice “equal power,” the app has become a haven for extremist content, racial slurs, and antisemitic rhetoric.

The platform, founded in 2025, has seen rapid expansion, with Appfigures reporting over 4 million downloads across iOS and Android since June 2025. However, this growth has outpaced the company’s ability to police its own community guidelines, which officially prohibit hate speech, harassment, and illegal activities.

Escalating Content Moderation Failures

Internal reviews and user reports have exposed a widespread presence of harmful material integrated into the core user experience. Issues identified on the platform include:

• Usernames containing explicit racial slurs and hate speech.
• Hashtags promoting extremist ideologies.
• Text posts, photos, and videos glorifying figures like Hitler.

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) recently published findings highlighting that UpScrolled has become an environment for antisemites and supporters of designated foreign terrorist organizations, such as Hamas.

Company Response and Future Outlook

When questioned about specific accounts featuring hate speech, the company initially stated via email that it was “actively reviewing and removing inappropriate content” and urged users not to interact with bad-faith actors. Despite these assurances, several accounts reported by observers remained active days later.

In a subsequent video address, founder Issam Hijazi acknowledged that users have been violating the platform’s terms of service. “We are offering everyone the freedom to express and share their opinions in a healthy and respectful digital environment,” Hijazi stated. He added that the company is currently “rapidly expanding our content moderation team” and upgrading its technical infrastructure to address the surge in harmful content.

The challenge facing UpScrolled is a common hurdle for platforms experiencing viral growth. Similar to the FAQ stipulations that emphasize a lack of opinion censorship while maintaining strict prohibitions against harm, other networks like Bluesky have previously struggled to manage similar crises involving offensive usernames.