The Asian Tribune
www.asiantribune.net
The new social media app, Upscrolled, has gained a large number of users in a short period. In fact, the app was getting downloaded at such a fast pace across the world that hundreds of thousands downloaded it in a day.
Soon it became the top App on Apple play store. So what’s the reason for such a wave? Clearly, users were dissatisfied and needed an alternative, a new platform that would not censor them and would allow them to express their support or criticism for any regime.
While users were complaining that Meta that owns Facebook and Instagram was taking down pro-Palestine posts and X also acted harshly on accounts that were critical of Israel, TikTok also announced that use of the term ‘Zionism’ in a negative or degrading way would lead to action on the user.
Many users had announced that they were feeling uncomfortable as content that either favored Palestine or criticized Israel was flagged or taken down. Besides, the users repeatedly said that there was no free speech on these platforms and that criticism of Israel government’s policies or actions should not be seen as anti-Semitism.
Users who reported from Palestine had their videos taken down and even handles penalized or shut. After TikTok’s ownership changed, the founder of ‘Upscrolled’, Issam Hijazi says that his platform is inclusive and doesn’t shadow ban or censor people for their views.
He also said that the platform was needed as big companies sell users data for profit and suppress content apart from censoring the users selectively. That prejudice or bias is fed into machine as the algorithm is created in this manner to suit the tilt of the owners, makes it difficult for the users who find it suffocating and stifling.
Right now, the major social media platforms include Meta’s Facebook and Instagram, Elon Musk’s X and TikTok. Meta also owns WhatsApp. Upscrolled is seen as an alternative to big social media networks that have millions of users but their control mechanism doesn’t allow the users to express themselves.
Especially, during Gaza crisis, it was felt that there was less space to speak up in favour of Palestine. Human Rights Watch (HRW) has documented over 1,050 takedowns and suppression of content on Instagram and Facebook that had been posted by Palestinians and their supporters.
Peaceful, pro-Palestine content is often restricted. Human Rights Watch (HRW) has noted that the censorship of content regarding Palestine on Instagram and Facebook is systemic and global. Meta’s inconsistent enforcement of its own policies led to erroneous removal of content about Palestine.
“While this appears to be the biggest wave of suppression of content about Palestine to date, Meta, the parent company of Facebook & Instagram, has a documented record of crackdowns on content related to Palestine”, says HRW. Billionaire Larry Ellison’s tech giant now owns TikTok. Feeling restricted, a large number of users now seek freedom of speech & have shifted to Skylight & Upscrolled.
[Email: editor@asiantribune.net]
