Social media plays a key role in contemporary political mobilisation, enabling collective action at unprecedented scale. In response, governments increasingly use digital repression – actions such as internet shutdowns, social media censorship, and disseminating misinformation – to constrain dissent. However, a growing body of evidence suggests a paradoxical effect: repression undermines perceived political efficacy – the belief that one’s actions can influence political outcomes – whilst simultaneously increasing feelings of injustice and fuelling motivation to engage in collective action. How these opposing psychological effects operate in digital environments remains poorly understood.
This research comprises three integrated studies exploring the paradoxical effects of digital repression on engagement in online collective action. Study 1 adopts a comparative, country-level approach using social media data across national contexts with varying levels of digital repression. The aim is to explore the impact of digital repression on engagement with online content that challenges incumbent governments. Study 2 uses a cross-sectional survey to examine individual-level relationships between perceived digital repression, perceived injustice, perceived political efficacy, and engagement in online collective action. Study 3 employs semi-structured interviews to explore how individuals interpret digital repression and negotiate the trade-off between efficacy and injustice when deciding whether to engage in online collective action.
By clarifying when and why digital repression suppresses or stimulates online collective action, this project advances understanding of institutional power, political trust, and governance in digitally mediated societies, with direct relevance to debates on secure, effective, and trusted institutions.