TikTok deal with Oracle sparks backlash amid concern over co-founder’s ties with Israel
- Marijan Hassan - Tech Journalist
- 2 hours ago
- 3 min read
$14 billion deal hands control to Oracle-led group; concerns over pro-israel ties and alleged "political shadowbanning" spark viral exodus.
The years-long saga over TikTok’s future in America reached a definitive, yet explosive, conclusion on January 22, 2026. A consortium of U.S. investors led by Oracle founder Larry Ellison, Silver Lake, and MGX finalized a $14 billion deal to acquire the U.S. operations of the short-form video giant. While the deal successfully sidesteps a federal ban, it has unleashed a tidal wave of controversy regarding potential censorship and the political leanings of its new billionaire owners.
Under the new structure, ByteDance retains a 19.9% stake, while the U.S.-led group holds the remaining 80.1%, with Oracle taking direct oversight of the recommendation algorithm.
The "Oracle era" begins with allegations of censorship
Almost immediately following the handover, TikTok’s "For You" page, the crown jewel of its tech, began showing signs of instability. Users across the country reported a surge in technical glitches, irrelevant content, and, more significantly, the alleged "throttling" of sensitive political topics.
The hashtag #TikTokCensorship went viral as creators accused the new ownership of suppressing content related to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids in Minneapolis, the recent Epstein file releases, and critiques of President Trump.
The "Zionist algorithm" backlash
Critics have pointed to Larry Ellison’s longstanding and vocal support for Israel as a potential conflict of interest. Groups like the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) labeled the sale a "doomed attempt" to silence pro-Palestinian voices, alleging that the new owners intend to build a "censorship moat" around Middle Eastern discourse.
However, a company spokesperson attributed the disruptions to a "massive server power outage" during the transition rather than intentional bias, stating that the algorithm is currently being "retrained" on U.S. user data to ensure it is free from "outside manipulation."
The rise of UpScrolled: 2.5 million users in 10 days
The distrust in TikTok’s new ownership has created a "Great Migration" to a previously obscure platform called UpScrolled.
Since the TikTok deal was finalized, UpScrolled has seen a 2,850% increase in downloads. As of February 2, 2026, the platform has surpassed 2.5 million registered users, topping the Apple App Store charts in the United States, Canada, and Australia.
The "unfiltered" pitch
Unlike TikTok, UpScrolled utilizes a strictly chronological feed and promises "zero shadowbanning." The apps founder, Issam Hijazi, emphasized that no voice should be filtered by billion-dollar interests. The Palestinian-Jordanian-Australian engineer who has worked at IBM and Oracle says he launched the app specifically as an alternative to "Big Tech" platforms that he felt were censoring solidarity movements.
TikTok’s new board
The new TikTok U.S. entity is governed by a seven-member board of national security and cybersecurity experts. However, skepticism remains high. Analysts note that while the algorithm is technically "American-controlled," it is still a copy of the original ByteDance code.
"The TikTok law gave the President the power to select the new owners," noted Georgetown law professor Anupam Chander. "Now, TikTok U.S. has to prove it isn't just a political tool for the administration and its billionaire allies."
A "hate speech" warning
The rapid growth of UpScrolled has not been without its own controversy. Security watchdogs, including the INSS, have warned that the platform’s "uncensored" nature has already led to a flood of antisemitic content and Holocaust denial. Hijazi has acknowledged the struggle, stating that his team’s moderation "hasn’t been able to keep up" with the massive, sudden influx of users.
