A massive pro-Palestine boycott campaign triggered millions of TikTok uninstalls worldwide this week after pro-Israel billionaire Larry Ellison gained control through the Oracle-linked deal, propelling alternative app UpScroll to the #1 spot on Google Play Store downloads by January 29, 2026.
Activists urged users to delete TikTok over its Gaza content censorship—with Netanyahu previously himself boasting "weapons change over time... the most important ones are social media. The most important purchase right now is TikTok... I hope it goes through because it can be consequential." When a leader wanted by the ICC for war crimes—responsible for over 71,000 Palestinian deaths during Gaza's genocide—calls TikTok his biggest weapon, the warning resonates."
UpScroll, marketed as a privacy-focused, algorithm-free video app, saw unprecedented growth—surpassing TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts in daily installs within days. Palestinian supporters hailed it as digital resistance, while creators celebrated its lack of content moderation—for not suppressing pro-Palestine voices.
In parallel, prominent Palestinian journalist Bisan Owda—known for raw Gaza livestreams—faced permanent bans across TikTok and other platforms, linked to the same boycott scrutiny. Owda's accounts, with millions of followers documenting Israel's war, were suspended for "policy violations," fueling claims of coordinated silencing amid the app wars. The clash highlights escalating tensions between social media giants and geopolitical activism, with UpScroll's rise signaling potential long-term shifts in short-form video dominance.
