Social Media Activism Under Algorithmic Power and Surveillance: Visibility Maneuvers within the case of #ReformasiDikorupsi Movement in Indonesia
(2022) SOCM04 20221Sociology
Department of Sociology
- Abstract
- In the last decade, Indonesia has seen a series of massive social media activism, especially on Twitter. As the activists strive to make their social movement visible on Twitter, they also face some threats due to the uncertainty of Twitter algorithms and potential surveillance. As many scholars have studied the role of social media algorithms for activism, this study intends to investigate the behavioral aspects of the activists by examining visibility maneuvers within the case of #ReformasiDikorupsi movement in Indonesia. This study collects data through online observations and interviews. The observations were conducted for two and a half months on 37 activists’ Twitter accounts, and the researcher manually downloaded 1948 tweets from... (More)
- In the last decade, Indonesia has seen a series of massive social media activism, especially on Twitter. As the activists strive to make their social movement visible on Twitter, they also face some threats due to the uncertainty of Twitter algorithms and potential surveillance. As many scholars have studied the role of social media algorithms for activism, this study intends to investigate the behavioral aspects of the activists by examining visibility maneuvers within the case of #ReformasiDikorupsi movement in Indonesia. This study collects data through online observations and interviews. The observations were conducted for two and a half months on 37 activists’ Twitter accounts, and the researcher manually downloaded 1948 tweets from these accounts. To complement the data from online observations, interviews were conducted with 12 activists of this social movement. The theoretical framework of this study draws on some concepts from previous studies, which include three aspects of social media activism: the threat of invisibility, the threat of visibility, and the practice of self-surveillance. With this theoretical framework, this study explains how visibility maneuvers help activists to encourage social changes by highlighting three aspects of social media activism. First, this study describes how the activists tackle the immediate threat of invisibility by popularizing their social movement and becoming the desired users of Twitter algorithms to gain the expected visibility. In order to do that, they employ strategic division of tasks, collective solidarity, and mobilization of resources in carrying out their social movement. Second, as Twitter algorithms allow other actors to remain invisible while monitoring the activists that are visible on Twitter, the activists can only anticipate the potential surveillance and intervention by reflecting on their past experiences. Lastly, this study reveals that the activists’ anticipation of the potential surveillance and intervention influences them to exercise the practice of self-surveillance. This study concludes that visibility maneuvers result from the power struggle in the relationship between Twitter algorithms, the activists, and other actors against the activists. (Less)
- Popular Abstract
- In Indonesia, many social media activism has attracted public awareness. One of them is the massive social media movement initiated in 2019 called #ReformasiDikorupsi (#ReformHasBeenCorrupted). In terms of activism, Twitter is often used by activists to raise certain socio-political issues. However, besides the facilitation of Twitter algorithms for the activists to boost their social movement’s popularity, Twitter algorithms also inhibit social media activism at the same time. In this regard, this study investigates social media activism under algorithmic power and surveillance by answering three research questions.
First, it elaborates how the activists carry out their social movement on Twitter. The efforts involve the process of... (More) - In Indonesia, many social media activism has attracted public awareness. One of them is the massive social media movement initiated in 2019 called #ReformasiDikorupsi (#ReformHasBeenCorrupted). In terms of activism, Twitter is often used by activists to raise certain socio-political issues. However, besides the facilitation of Twitter algorithms for the activists to boost their social movement’s popularity, Twitter algorithms also inhibit social media activism at the same time. In this regard, this study investigates social media activism under algorithmic power and surveillance by answering three research questions.
First, it elaborates how the activists carry out their social movement on Twitter. The efforts involve the process of understanding social media algorithms, including how the algorithms work in certain logic and how the activists can follow the mechanism of the algorithms to gain expected visibility on the platform. At the same time, the activists have to deal with other actors that are against their social movement. The conditions happen because Twitter does not provide clarity or access for its users to know about the true mechanisms and logic of its algorithms. Therefore, the activists can only rely on their never-ending process of learning the algorithms of Twitter. This study finds that the uncertainty of Twitter algorithms is not the only challenge activists have to deal with. Other actors can also monitor the activists’ online activities and try to sabotage the social movement. To face these challenges, the activists set up a strategic division of tasks, strengthen their collective solidarity, and mobilize all their resources.
Second, this study explains how the activists anticipate the possibility of being monitored by other actors that are against their cause. With Twitter algorithms, these actors can watch the online activities of the activists without being known or recognized by them. They can also take advantage of Twitter’s security system to mine the activists’ data that is not accessible to the public by using cyber surveillance technology or spyware.
Lastly, this study finds that the activists adjust their online behaviors based on their past experiences to minimize potential harm because of the surveillance. They attentively present themselves on Twitter by tweeting carefully and consciously, and adjusting their content and interactions based on Twitter’s policy and the law of their country. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9095015
- author
- Syamsiyah, Nur LU
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- SOCM04 20221
- year
- 2022
- type
- H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
- subject
- keywords
- social media activism, algorithmic power, surveillance, visibility
- language
- English
- id
- 9095015
- date added to LUP
- 2022-07-11 09:36:51
- date last changed
- 2022-07-11 09:36:51
@misc{9095015,
abstract = {{In the last decade, Indonesia has seen a series of massive social media activism, especially on Twitter. As the activists strive to make their social movement visible on Twitter, they also face some threats due to the uncertainty of Twitter algorithms and potential surveillance. As many scholars have studied the role of social media algorithms for activism, this study intends to investigate the behavioral aspects of the activists by examining visibility maneuvers within the case of #ReformasiDikorupsi movement in Indonesia. This study collects data through online observations and interviews. The observations were conducted for two and a half months on 37 activists’ Twitter accounts, and the researcher manually downloaded 1948 tweets from these accounts. To complement the data from online observations, interviews were conducted with 12 activists of this social movement. The theoretical framework of this study draws on some concepts from previous studies, which include three aspects of social media activism: the threat of invisibility, the threat of visibility, and the practice of self-surveillance. With this theoretical framework, this study explains how visibility maneuvers help activists to encourage social changes by highlighting three aspects of social media activism. First, this study describes how the activists tackle the immediate threat of invisibility by popularizing their social movement and becoming the desired users of Twitter algorithms to gain the expected visibility. In order to do that, they employ strategic division of tasks, collective solidarity, and mobilization of resources in carrying out their social movement. Second, as Twitter algorithms allow other actors to remain invisible while monitoring the activists that are visible on Twitter, the activists can only anticipate the potential surveillance and intervention by reflecting on their past experiences. Lastly, this study reveals that the activists’ anticipation of the potential surveillance and intervention influences them to exercise the practice of self-surveillance. This study concludes that visibility maneuvers result from the power struggle in the relationship between Twitter algorithms, the activists, and other actors against the activists.}},
author = {{Syamsiyah, Nur}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{Social Media Activism Under Algorithmic Power and Surveillance: Visibility Maneuvers within the case of #ReformasiDikorupsi Movement in Indonesia}},
year = {{2022}},
}