Contesting Platform Power explores the practices and discourses of data activists, by shifting the focus from critical digital studies to critical platform studies through the theoretical lens of affordances, to understand the material means by which activist's software and applications strives to empower users through data control.
Papa critically explores the ways platform affordances, actions associated to the features of the platform which might be hidden or perceptible to the user, can create the possibilities for both action and constraint, but it ultimately rests upon users to either comply or resist. Platform affordances in this study are not to be conflated with specific features of the platform such as shares, clicks or reaction buttons, but refers the communicative practices and habits they allow or refuse to users within a technological space.
An innovative contribution to the field of critical platform studies, chapters explore the theoretical underpinnings of affordances to sow the seeds for further critical analysis into the software and applications of data activists, while also suggesting a new typology that can aid researchers in identifying and analysing such practices. Featuring case studies of data activists' examples, Papa demonstrates that such efforts can be used in a tactical manner by users to counter the hegemonic power of corporate platforms and AI.
| ISBN: | 9781835492390 |
| Publication date: | 12th November 2025 |
| Author: | Venetia Papa |
| Publisher: | Emerald Publishing an imprint of Emerald Publishing Limited |
| Format: | Hardback |
| Pagination: | 208 pages |
| Series: | Digital Activism and Society |
| Genres: |
Media studies: internet, digital media and society Social media / social networking Communication studies |
Contesting Platform Power explores the practices and discourses of data activists, by shifting the focus from critical digital studies to critical platform studies through the theoretical lens of affordances, to understand the material means by which activist's software and applications strives to empower users through data control. Papa critically explores the ways platform affordances, actions associated to the features of the platform which might be hidden or perceptible to the user, can create the possibilities for both action and constraint, but it ultimately rests upon users to either comply or resist.
Contesting Platform Power features in the following genres: Media studies: internet, digital media and society, Social media / social networking, Communication studies
Hardback. Not Available.
Contesting Platform Power was written by Venetia Papa and published by Emerald Publishing an imprint of Emerald Publishing Limited
Contesting Platform Power has 208 pages
Yes it is part of Digital Activism and Society series