SCAS-Nordic Fellow, SCAS.
Associate Professor, Department of Management, Society and Communication, Copenhagen Business School

Hybrid event.
Zoom Webinar: https://uu-se.zoom.us/j/65802739142 External link, opens in new window.

ABSTRACT:
Climate movements are increasingly utilizing digital platforms to mobilize in ways that would not be possible otherwise. However, little is known about how the in/visibilities created by these platforms shape the collective action of climate movements. This project combines decolonial approaches to climate justice, critical data studies, and visibility research to explore this issue. Specifically, the theoretical framework examines how both alternative digital platforms (e.g., Discord, Bluesky) and traditional ones (e.g., Meta, X) enable climate movements’ collective action by granting visibility to some of their efforts. At the same time, these platforms also undermine these efforts by rendering certain actions invisible through algorithmic content moderation.

Empirically, the project employs multi-sited ethnographic methods to study three climate movements in the UK and Denmark (Just Stop Oil, Extinction Rebellion, and the Youth Green Movement). Preliminary findings suggest that digital platforms facilitate information sharing and political engagement. However, the results also reveal that algorithmic content moderation, such as shadowbanning—a covert form of censorship where platforms reduce the visibility of politically sensitive content without notifying users—prevalently hinders collective action. The project aims to provide insights into the implications of shadowbanning for climate action and offer evidence-based guidelines for digital platform policymaking.