If you haven’t done this I’ve heard of UpScrolled before, a quick introduction: it’s a social media platform that’s not too different from, say, Instagram or TikTok. You can share photos or compact videos, follow accounts, comment on posts and build your own followers. Nothing too earth-shattering, right?
UpScrolled founder Issam Hijazi wouldn’t have it any other way. Indeed, his nascent company departs from most Large Tech platforms in several significant respects: UpScrolled offers an old-fashioned chronological feed, not one dictated by an algorithm supposedly serving up content you’ll latch on to; the platform also promises that it will not share user data with marketing companies or other commercial enterprises. Hijazi, who is of Palestinian descent, founded UpScrolled in response to widespread user complaints that some social media companies are censoring or shadow banning their posts – particularly pro-Palestinian content. The platform specifically vows to “never” hide content, provided it does not violate UpScrolled’s community guidelines.
In addition to breaking with many Large Tech norms, Hijazi’s position is uncommon among Silicon Valley types due to its unique, overtly ideological nature. (During our conversation, Hijazi told me that he “personally” ensured that UpScrolled users were unable to select Israel as their location when using the platform). But the approach has resonated: When we first met in February, just eight months after Hijazi launched UpScrolled, the platform had quickly amassed 2.5 million users after the frenzy surrounding TikTok’s deal with President Trump to create an American version of the company controlled by American investors. Hijazi was UpScrolled’s only employee at the time.
Today, with UpScrolled counting over 5 million users, Hijazi has rushed to scale his team to meet the platform’s growing needs, particularly in content moderation. Recently, his company has come under the radar of groups like the Anti-Defamation League, which says it doesn’t do enough to eliminate anti-Semitic and extremist content. Last week, in a wide-ranging conversation, I asked Hijazi about these claims and how UpScrolled is catching up in its rapid growth.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
KATIE DRUMMOND: Hello, Issam, welcome to The Large Interview.
ISSAM HIJAZI: Hello, Katie. Thank you for having me.
I’m very glad you’re here. I want to start with your background. It’s fascinating. You previously worked for gigantic technology companies. You worked at IBM; you worked at Oracle. Tell us about your history in technology and how it has shaped your views on the tech industry and social media.
I have been working in the technology industry for 17 and a half years. Previously, I started coding when I was 12 years aged. So I was very involved in IT and technology from a very early stage. As you mentioned, during my career I worked with companies such as Oracle, IBM, Hitachi, and then with miniature start-ups.
For a teenage professional, this is a dream job. This is something every child wants to work at. Great companies that have great technology and there are lots of opportunities to learn, but when you start to understand and learn the mechanics of these companies, you start to wonder: Is this the right place? It’s a feeling I started feeling over the last three years, and it made me focus on wanting to start something modern.
These companies are complicit in the bad things that are happening around the world. For example, the genocide in Gaza by providing technology, infrastructure, knowledge, etc. to countries like Israel. And allowing them to observe. Personally, I felt complicit in working for them and wanted out.