Here is the output:
Source: Fortune.com
Summary
Gen Z creators in the US are protesting TikTok’s new ownership by Oracle by installing a rival app, UpScrolled, built by a former Oracle employee. The app promises to break with TikTok’s algorithm and offer a more open approach to speech and reach. UpScrolled has gained popularity, with 2.5 million users globally, as TikTok’s US operation faces criticism over alleged censorship and algorithmic issues.
Our Reading
The numbers tell one story.
Gen Z creators are staging a quiet revolt against TikTok’s new ownership by Oracle, installing a rival app built by a former Oracle employee. The app, UpScrolled, promises to break with TikTok’s algorithm and offer a more open approach to speech and reach. UpScrolled has gained popularity, with 2.5 million users globally, as TikTok’s US operation faces criticism over alleged censorship and algorithmic issues. The irony powering the rebellion is sharp: TikTok’s US operation now runs on Oracle’s infrastructure and oversight, while one of Oracle’s former engineers is behind UpScrolled. The protest is happening one download at a time, with many users framing their sign-ups as a protest against what they see as a corporatized, domesticated version of TikTok. UpScrolled promises no shadow-bans and a more transparent approach to moderation, with community rules against violence and hate but without the opaque, life-script-locking personalization that many Gen Z users now blame for their “brain rot.”
UpScrolled’s founder, Issam Hijazi, said the app had “zoomed” from roughly 150,000 users in early January to more than 1 million in a matter of days, and as of this week, has now passed 2.5 million users globally. The app’s rise coincides with a broader youth push to reclaim attention, whether through “dumb phones,” print zines, or slower, less gamified online spaces. Oracle and UpScrolled did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The rebellion is not just about the algorithm; it’s about the ownership and control of the platform. For Gen Z, the backstory matters because it ties their distrust of TikTok’s new stewards—Oracle, U
