Alternative Social Media Platform UpScrolled and Algorithm Debates

Palestinian-Jordanian tech entrepreneur Issam Hijazi shared the story of UpScrolled—an alternative social media platform he founded in Australia in 2025 that returns content to chronological order—at the Bil'Arabi 2026 gathering in Doha.

Freedom of Expression and Algorithmic Barriers

Arab users are forced to break apart letters of words or insert symbols between them in order to make their voices heard on social media. This situation demonstrates that freedom of expression is not limited to merely being able to post, but also brings into question the power of platforms that determine the path taken by posts.

The Founding Story of UpScrolled

Drawing on feelings of helplessness and anger, Issam Hijazi founded the UpScrolled platform in Australia in 2025. The entrepreneur's main goal is to offer users a fairer space for discourse and to ensure that posts are directly visible through chronological ordering.

Hidden Restrictions and User Reactions

Hijazi stated that instead of directly blocking content, platforms limit their visibility to ensure that no one sees them. The app, which was temporarily removed from the Google Play Store, returned to the store thanks to intense pressure from users.

The Concept of Chronological Ordering

UpScrolled adopts a chronological system that ranks content not according to algorithms, but according to the time of publication. This approach aims to protect the user's right to know why the content they see on their screen is there.