Google Play has delisted UpScrolled, the “censorship-resistant” social media app founded by Issam Hijazi, following its rapid growth to over 2.5 million users and its brief stint as a top-ranked alternative to TikTok.

While the app remains available for existing users, Google has not provided a specific reason for the removal; UpScrolled’s team confirmed they are working with the Play Store for reinstatement while maintaining their commitment to unfiltered content.

This development follows the app’s rapid ascent in popularity, particularly amid concerns over content moderation on competing platforms like TikTok.

  • kadu@scribe.disroot.orgEnglish
    26·
    5 hours ago

    Reminder that Google is on it’s third attempt to prevent or limit the installation of APKs outside of the Play Store, meaning they are near the point they can effectively control what apps people run.

      • Squizzy@lemmy.worldEnglish
        10·
        5 hours ago

        Do it now, use obtainium, droidfy and aurora. Nearly every app works except google wallet.

        • SpezCanLigmaBalls@lemmy.worldEnglish
          2·
          4 hours ago

          My only problem stopping me is I use my phone for work too. Microsoft auth, outlook. Mostly just auth. I was looking it up a bit ago and people said it breaks it for work accounts

          • Saljid@lemmy.worldEnglish
            1·
            2 hours ago

            I currently use MS Auth on my Graphene OS phone. Have installed Play Services on that profile, though

          • Lfrith@lemmy.caEnglish
            2·
            3 hours ago

            Not a good idea to mix personal and work devices. I’d recommend getting a cheap budget phone to use for work.

  • Pika@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    16·
    6 hours ago

    De-listed where? It’s listed still for me.

    I’m guessing it was a regional de-listment and it just wasn’t specified.

    Being said, this page was enough to make me install the app, still unsure if I wanna use it or not but, I don’t wanna risk losing the ability to install the app either.

      • ben@lemmy.zipEnglish
        6·
        5 hours ago

        The more I work for tech companies the more I genuinely end up believing that stuff like this being removed is in fact just incompetence at least 50% of the time

        • BreadstickNinja@lemmy.worldEnglish
          8·
          5 hours ago

          A lot of companies seem to automatically delist things that get mass reported, which makes them subject to interference by armies of paid or unpaid trolls. Hopefully the issue gets corrected but this seems to happen more and more frequently.

    • geneva_convenience@lemmy.mlOPEnglish
      4·
      5 hours ago

      The devs confirmed it was delisted. Not sure what its current status is. Seeing mixed messages online so it might be regional delisting or it might have been restored.

  • dissentiate@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
    1·
    4 hours ago

    I don’t have any accounts on the fash friendly state-funded/corpo social platforms, but has anyone seen if the developer has made a statement online since the app got relisted?

    Either way, I wouldn’t use this app at this point. Not because of anything the developer has done, rather because Google can man-in-the-middle any version of the app he submits. Might sound a little far fetched, but given the continous fealty to this administration, and Google’s deep relationships with Gov entities going back decades…

    Well… why trust them to not be supplying whatever alphabet agency with user data?