At Web Summit Qatar 2026, where global tech leaders are debating AI and digital regulation frameworks, one of the most talked-about topics comes from an unexpected source: a rapidly growing social media platform called UpScrolled.

Launched last year, the app has already been downloaded millions of times and now ranks at the top of app stores in countries including the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia. Its swift rise signals a growing appetite for social platforms that offer alternatives to the algorithms and data-driven strategies of major tech companies.

Speaking at the opening night of the summit, UpScrolled founder Issam Hijazi framed the platform as a response to the shortcomings of Big Tech. “Big Tech over the last couple of years has proven they’re not really in it for ethics. They prioritise profit over people, they sell user data, they design platforms to keep you addicted, and they don’t really care about your mental health or wellbeing,” he said.

UpScrolled allows users to share photos, videos, and text posts, scroll through feeds, and send direct messages, much like Instagram and X. However, Hijazi emphasized that the platform’s design prioritizes user wellbeing rather than engagement metrics. “Other platforms are designed to have us as the product because we are generating money for them. They designed the algorithm to keep you scrolling without any value. We don’t do that. We designed UpScrolled to let people log off,” he said.

The platform also promises freedom of expression, minimal algorithmic interference, and no shadow banning, presenting itself as an alternative during a period when public trust in mainstream social media is increasingly fragile. Hijazi linked this approach to broader concerns about digital transparency, noting that recent changes in TikTok’s US ownership had raised questions about content control, moderation, and user autonomy. “We cannot keep blaming the algorithm or the technology because there are people who are building this technology,” Hijazi said. “Behind the scenes, certain people train the algorithm to amplify certain things and suppress others.”

Despite the dominance of established tech giants, UpScrolled’s rapid adoption suggests there is space for platforms that respond directly to user concerns. Hijazi said the platform has drawn interest from investors aligned with its ethical approach. “There’s a lot of ethical people around the world who want to be part of our journey. They want to be part of our mission and our vision and what we’re trying to build,” he added.

UpScrolled emerged as a response to widespread dissatisfaction with mainstream social media, and Hijazi aims to maintain the momentum by continuing to refine the platform. With millions of users worldwide and growing investor support, UpScrolled seeks to position itself as a social media alternative built for people rather than profit.

Merz and Meloni’s updated Italo-German Plan of Action doubles down on legislative self-restraint, simplification, and better regulation. The real test now is the Omnibus push and the Better Regulation reform.

Last week, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz met Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in Rome, where the two leaders signed an updated Italian-German Plan of Action aimed at strategic bilateral and European Union cooperation. The agreement spans multiple areas of both Italy-Germany collaboration and EU-wide initiatives, aligning closely with the European Commission’s strategic plans through 2029.

The plan emphasizes a continued push for “legislative self-restraint,” the simplification of existing rules, a shift in regulatory mindset, and reforms in public administration. While such goals are not new among EU leadership, the document underscores that achieving them requires not only a change in approach but also careful evaluation of both current legislation and new proposals.

Italy and Germany call for an “unbureaucratic, business- and SME-friendly implementation of EU initiatives,” advocating a “consequent simplification agenda.” The plan also stresses that proposals creating excessive administrative burdens should either be withdrawn or never tabled. Experts say these measures could significantly reduce the complexity of EU legislation if followed through, but note that successful implementation will depend on coordinated action at the Council of the EU and influence over the Commission’s agenda.

The two governments have committed to sharing positions on Omnibus proposals and jointly pursuing “meaningful simplification” and “tangible burden reduction” for startups, SMEs, and industry at large. This effort could encourage smaller EU member states to take similar stances. However, some left-leaning politicians and organisations have expressed skepticism about the Omnibus proposals, raising the possibility of resistance or delays in adoption.

The upcoming Better Regulation reform will serve as the first real test of the updated plan. The European Commission is currently running a Call for Evidence on the reform until February 4th, though only 23 responses have been submitted so far. Supporters argue that EU decision-making processes are too slow and resource-intensive, and reforms could allow for faster, more efficient legislative action.

Critics caution that if the guidelines are relaxed excessively, the consultation and evaluation processes could be weakened, allowing the Commission to select which stakeholders provide input and limiting member states’ ability to fully assess the necessity and impact of proposed legislation. This could reduce Italy and Germany’s influence in shaping EU laws during trilogue negotiations, undermining the very goal of smarter, more restrained legislative action.

The updated Italo-German Plan of Action represents a high-profile effort to streamline EU regulation and support business competitiveness. Its success will depend on both the political will to adhere to self-restraint principles and the practical implementation of simplification and regulatory reforms across the EU.

Meta has announced cuts to its metaverse operations after years of promoting virtual reality as the future of human interaction, signaling a major shift in the company’s strategy. The start of 2026 marked what many see as the final blow for the digital worlds once hailed by Mark Zuckerberg as the next big computing platform.

At the beginning of January, Meta laid off 10 percent of staff in its Reality Labs division, primarily employees involved in metaverse development, including data engineers, software engineers, and game developers. The company’s fourth-quarter earnings confirmed the financial strain: Reality Labs posted $6.2 billion in losses in Q4 and $19.1 billion for the full year. Zuckerberg told investors that while the metaverse is no longer the primary focus, Meta will continue to develop extended reality (XR) technologies, particularly AI-integrated wearables such as its Ray-Ban smart glasses.

Experts say Meta’s retreat does not spell the end of virtual reality. George Jijiashvili, senior principal analyst at Omdia, said the metaverse failed largely because the technology was not ready to support a mainstream consumer platform. “The vision of the platform did not coincide with the technological status quo,” he explained, noting that headsets, smart glasses, and other necessary hardware have yet to mature.

Per Ola Kristensson, a professor of interactive systems engineering at the University of Cambridge, emphasized the ergonomic and practical limitations of VR. In a 2022 study, participants working in VR headsets for a full 40-hour week reported frustration, visual fatigue, and lower productivity. “It’s not ergonomic,” Kristensson said. “If you want a sip of coffee, you have to move the helmet. Small, subtle things don’t work, which makes extended use uncomfortable.”

Despite these challenges, researchers see opportunities in XR and augmented reality (AR). Kristensson noted that focusing on practical applications, such as AI-integrated AR glasses, could transform daily life. “Your glasses become your phone and an AI interface. They can project digital information into the physical world and interact with robotics,” he said.

Meta’s shift also mirrors trends in other virtual platforms. Kim Currier of the Decentraland Foundation said the decline of corporate-driven hype has allowed virtual worlds to become more community-focused. “There has been a clear shift away from corporate experimentation toward user-led activity,” she said, pointing to community events and meetups as examples of how engagement has become more genuine.

Gaming platforms like Roblox and Fortnite demonstrate that user-centric digital experiences can thrive without the spectacle of a centralized metaverse. Analysts suggest Meta’s pivot to mobile for its Horizon platform is a response to these successes. “Increasingly, our worlds are digital, more connected. People just didn’t want Meta’s 2021 version of the metaverse,” Jijiashvili said.

While Meta retreats from its original vision, experts say VR and XR technologies are likely to evolve in ways that are more practical, user-focused, and integrated with AI, opening new avenues for digital interaction beyond the high-profile metaverse experiment.