TechCrunch Industry News UpScrolled’s social network is struggling to moderate hate speech after fast growth; plus,
Feb 12, 2026
A social network that exploded after TikTok’s U.S. deal is grappling with rising hate speech and racial slurs across usernames and hashtags. Moderation capacity and policy tensions are explored as the platform scrambles to scale safety. A major social app introduces a new AI-driven feature letting users temporarily request more or less of certain content in their feeds.
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Growth Outpaced Moderation
- Upscrolled's rapid growth outpaced its moderation capacity, enabling usernames and hashtags with racial slurs to appear.
- The company acknowledged the problem and said it is expanding moderation while problematic accounts remained online days later.
Explicit Hate In Usernames
- TechCrunch reported usernames featuring the slur itself, slurs combined with other words, and even phrases like "Glory to Hitler."
- Screenshots sent to Upscrolled showed these accounts but many remained online after reporting.
Don't Engage With Bad-Faith Actors
- Do not engage with bad-faith actors while Upscrolled increases moderation, per the company's public email.
- Report harmful content but expect delays as the startup expands moderation capacity.