Social network UpScrolled struggles to moderate hate speech after rapid growth

UpScrolled, a social network that caught fire after TikTok changed hands in the US, is facing a serious moderation problem. After growing to more than 2.5 million users in January, users reported that the app was not taking action on the creation of usernames and hashtags containing racial slurs, and was unable to properly moderate harmful content.

After receiving tips from UpScrolled users, TechCrunch has confirmed a wide range of racial slurs and hate speech used in usernames on the app. For example, some usernames may contain the same slur, a slur combined with other words, or multiple slurs in a single username; Other usernames contain hate speech, such as “Glory to Hitler.”

After reporting these insults to UpScrolled’s public email address, we received a response from that email stating that the company is “actively reviewing and removing inappropriate content,” and is expanding its moderation capacity. The email advised us not to engage with bad faith actors while the situation is resolved.

Days after this activity on the app was reported, accounts with slurs in their usernames that were submitted to UpScrolled via screenshots remained online.

Additionally, insults and hate speech can be found elsewhere in the app, including hashtags and text used alongside photo or video content, TechCrunch found. Other harmful content was available, including text posts containing racial slurs and hate speech, and photo and video content glorifying Hitler, based on a TechCrunch review of the app.

TechCrunch wasn’t alone in identifying this issue; The Anti-Defamation League also published a blog post this month, noting that UpScrolled has become home to anti-Semitic and extremist content and specific foreign terrorist organizations, such as Hamas and others.

UpScrolled, founded in 2025, claims on its website that the platform offers every voice “equal power.” The app has seen more than 4 million downloads on iOS and Android since June 2025, according to market intelligence provider Appfigures — a figure higher than the number the startup self-announced last month.

But while UpScrolled’s FAQ makes clear that the app doesn’t “censor opinions,” it notes that its policy is to restrict content that includes “unlawful activity, hate speech, bullying, harassment, explicit nudity, unlicensed copyrighted material, or anything intended to cause harm.”

This guidance is similar to most modern social media platforms. However, it is clear that the company is struggling to enforce its rules.

It’s a battle social networks often face — especially those that receive a large influx of new users in a short period of time. For example, Bluesky experienced issues with slurs in account usernames in July 2023, which resulted in users threatening to leave the site.

Following UpScrolled’s initial response to our inquiry, TechCrunch also received a response from the press account on Tuesday, which directed us to UpScrolled founder Issam Hegazy’s new video, in which he addresses issues with content moderation.