Digital Organizers in Hong Kong: The Challenges of Movement Organizing Through Social Media Amid Democratic Backsliding

The 2019 Anti-Extradition Bill Movement (Anti-ELAB Movement) in Hong Kong has been seen as a successful civil society organizing characterized by its decentralized, leaderless, and networked nature using various social media platforms. Drawing on interviews with 16 digital organizers who were involv...

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Main Author: Yao-Tai Li
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: SAGE Publishing 2025-04-01
Series:Social Media + Society
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1177/20563051251337205
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author Yao-Tai Li
author_facet Yao-Tai Li
author_sort Yao-Tai Li
collection DOAJ
description The 2019 Anti-Extradition Bill Movement (Anti-ELAB Movement) in Hong Kong has been seen as a successful civil society organizing characterized by its decentralized, leaderless, and networked nature using various social media platforms. Drawing on interviews with 16 digital organizers who were involved in the production of flyers and the dissemination of movement-related information through social media platforms, this article reflects on the challenges to efficiency and efficacy for digital organizers amid democratic backsliding in Hong Kong. These challenges include the fragmentation of voices, diverse forms and motivations for participation, and concerns about trust in a repressive environment. The article concludes by discussing the accountability issues of movement organizing through social media.
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spelling doaj-art-b661fc43f45643fe8ca50020ea3b7b332025-08-20T03:53:42ZengSAGE PublishingSocial Media + Society2056-30512025-04-011110.1177/20563051251337205Digital Organizers in Hong Kong: The Challenges of Movement Organizing Through Social Media Amid Democratic BackslidingYao-Tai Li0University of New South Wales, AustraliaThe 2019 Anti-Extradition Bill Movement (Anti-ELAB Movement) in Hong Kong has been seen as a successful civil society organizing characterized by its decentralized, leaderless, and networked nature using various social media platforms. Drawing on interviews with 16 digital organizers who were involved in the production of flyers and the dissemination of movement-related information through social media platforms, this article reflects on the challenges to efficiency and efficacy for digital organizers amid democratic backsliding in Hong Kong. These challenges include the fragmentation of voices, diverse forms and motivations for participation, and concerns about trust in a repressive environment. The article concludes by discussing the accountability issues of movement organizing through social media.https://doi.org/10.1177/20563051251337205
spellingShingle Yao-Tai Li
Digital Organizers in Hong Kong: The Challenges of Movement Organizing Through Social Media Amid Democratic Backsliding
Social Media + Society
title Digital Organizers in Hong Kong: The Challenges of Movement Organizing Through Social Media Amid Democratic Backsliding
title_full Digital Organizers in Hong Kong: The Challenges of Movement Organizing Through Social Media Amid Democratic Backsliding
title_fullStr Digital Organizers in Hong Kong: The Challenges of Movement Organizing Through Social Media Amid Democratic Backsliding
title_full_unstemmed Digital Organizers in Hong Kong: The Challenges of Movement Organizing Through Social Media Amid Democratic Backsliding
title_short Digital Organizers in Hong Kong: The Challenges of Movement Organizing Through Social Media Amid Democratic Backsliding
title_sort digital organizers in hong kong the challenges of movement organizing through social media amid democratic backsliding
url https://doi.org/10.1177/20563051251337205
work_keys_str_mv AT yaotaili digitalorganizersinhongkongthechallengesofmovementorganizingthroughsocialmediaamiddemocraticbacksliding