Social Media for
Civilizational Wellbeing
Imagine
⟶ Knowing how much you trust something online at a glance.
⟶ Seeing the most trustworthy content from “the other side,” instead of the most absurd.
⟶ Feeling really good every time you use social media, rather than depleted and addicted.
This is UpTrust.
Where your actions make the whole world better off, and the world’s better offness is good for you too, in a self-reinforcing loop of goodness, truth, and beauty.
About
Where you go for the best conversations on the internet
UpTrust is dedicated to civilizational alignment and well-being.
We do this through better internet, through better dialogue, through systemic nudges that change the incentive landscape to bring out the best of humanity rather than the current systems which optimize for attention via nervous system hijacks, clickbait, and naively promoting the content that gets the most interaction.
Our small team spans three continents. Individually we don’t always agree about issues, politics, or religion. Still, we align at a meta-level: nuanced, complex conversations can lead to less polarization and greater connection when the incentives are aligned.
We’re creating the platform; we need your participation to make that a reality.
The Problem
The Internet Optimizes Engagement
Online interactions today are shaped by platforms that prioritize engagement over credibility. Algorithms optimize for virality, measured in likes, shares, and comments, fueling outrage and reinforcing ideological bubbles.
Traditional moderation systems rely on top-down censorship, ineffective fact-checking, or crowdsourced consensus mechanisms like “Community Notes” that erode trust and transparency. Instead of rewarding wisdom, social media amplifies the content that provokes the strongest emotional reactions.
The result is an internet where misinformation spreads faster than facts, and meaningful conversations are drowned out by noise. The problem is pervasive and feels almost too overwhelming to tackle. Leaders we wish we could trust—politicians, religious figures, journalists, and even academics—are caught in the attention optimization game, influencing our laws while undermining the shared understanding that holds society together. Even in-person conversations are shaped by trending topics online, worsening tensions and deepening divides.
Meanwhile, AI systems trained on today’s internet are accelerating the problem, replacing search results with simplified takes from tools like ChatGPT or Claude. We’re not just sliding—we’re snowballing downhill fast, compounding biases and misinformation at scale.
At its core, social media has become addictive and manipulative, designed to capture attention at the expense of truth, clarity, and genuine connection.
Our Solution
A Trust-Based Social Network
UpTrust is building an alternative—a system where trust determines visibility, not outrage. Instead of engagement-based algorithms, we use trust-weighted ranking to surface content from people and sources that users trust within specific domains. Our system dynamically evolves, adapting as credibility shifts over time.
Trust Networks: Individuals and groups curate their own trust relationships, shaping their information environment based on reliability rather than popularity.
Bridging Mechanisms: Instead of reinforcing echo chambers, UpTrust prioritizes content that synthesizes diverse viewpoints and brings opposing perspectives into dialogue.
Reputation as a Dynamic Metric: Trust is contextual and fluid, updating based on a person’s contributions and credibility within different topics. Even content that “bridges” is relative to what you personally trust and distrust, using only the information you provide with your interactions.
By aligning incentives with wisdom instead of outrage, UpTrust enables an online ecosystem where people engage meaningfully and misinformation is naturally deprioritized—not through censorship, but through structural trust dynamics.
How You Can Help
Where your growth serves all, and all serve your growth
Join the Community: UpTrust is building a new paradigm for online discourse. Early adopters and engaged participants shape how trust networks evolve and how content is prioritized.
Invite Thoughtful Contributors (i.e. your friends!): The strength of UpTrust lies in its trusted voices. By inviting experts, bridge-builders, and credible contributors, you help create a more resilient information ecosystem.
Support the Future of Trust-Based Social Media: Whether through direct participation, investment, or strategic partnerships, you can help transform how the Internet facilitates conversation, knowledge-sharing, and decision-making.
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Charting a Course to Civilizational Wellbeing
Imagine a world where social media leads to better solutions for humanity’s most pressing issues, rather than polarization and deep divides. Read more about our disruptive perspective on how to change the course of humanity.
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Getting Started on UpTrust
UpTrust fosters better conversations with a novel algorithm, trust scores, and bridging. Learn about account setup and key features.
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Meet the Team
Our team comprises absolute powerhouse geniuses (at least in the view of the person writing this text!). Learn more about the folks behind the scenes.