New Female-Focused Social Media App UP Promises Safety And Community For Women Leaving Other Platforms

As more women step away from traditional social media, citing harassment, privacy concerns, and misinformation, two pioneering women in tech are launching UP, a female-forward social platform.

Shubhi Rao, the first woman and person of color to serve as an Officer at Alphabet/Google, and Jacki Zehner, the youngest woman to become a partner at Goldman Sachs have designed UP to create a safer, more supportive digital space for women.

A survey of 1,007 U.S. women across all age groups conducted by Uplevyl, a female-focused technology company founded by Rao, underscores the need for change: 48% abandoned at least one social media platform in the past year, 40% experienced direct harassment, and only 8% felt their personal data was completely protected.

Respondents’ top reasons for reducing social media usage included mental health/wellness impact (48%) and time management (46%). Nearly a quarter of women (24%) completely stopped using Twitter/X in the past year. More than half of women selected one or both of misinformation and poor quality as a primary concern on social media.

More than 60% of women reported experiencing direct harassment and/or security issues, or identified one or the other as a primary concern, and 43% said they would pay for better data security, with an average monthly willingness of $25.

UP aims to combat these issues by enforcing zero tolerance for harassment and disinformation, transparent data policies, and community standards led by women moderators. The platform will also feature expert-driven content focused on personal, professional, and financial topics.

“The fact that nearly half of the women are stepping back from social media is not just a statistic – it’s a clear signal that current platforms are failing to create safe, supportive, and uplifting spaces for women. These numbers speak to extreme levels of harassment and privacy breaches,” said Rao. “Our research confirmed what we’ve long suspected: women need technology intentionally designed for them.”

Zehner emphasized the need for a platform that prioritizes security and well-being.

“By building transparent, respectful, and community-driven technology, we can help reverse the trend of women feeling forced to choose between digital connection and their safety,” she said.