Workers' Digital Resistance in China: Unorganized Labor Mobilization and Authoritarian Resilience


SiLang Huang, University of Toronto

Emergent technologies are transforming contentious interactions between activists and authoritarian governments. As the physical space for organized labor activism is undermined by the Chinese authoritarian regime, unorganized and decentralized digital labor activism has become increasingly crucial for labor movement in China, especially among the younger generation workforce. Young workers have historically been central to revolutionary movements. However, the Chinese party state’s contemporary narratives emphasize them largely as economic assets, leading to a series of counter-movements by unorganized young workers against the state’s development agenda. While dissidents have more frequently used digital platforms to foster collective actions, authoritarian regimes have increasingly deployed new technologies to preemptively suppress oppression such as using automation to spread disinformation and digital surveillance tools with the newest algorithms to identify activists. Although Chinas authoritarian regime has maintained its regime resilience despite a massive surge of digital activism, unorganized and decentralized digital mobilization offers a new pathway for labor activism under a repressive state. This study explores the emergent dynamics of unorganized labor mobilization within the digital sphere in China, a context where traditional, organized labor activism faces severe repression from the authoritarian regime. Drawing upon political ethnography and mixed methods, the study is anchored in Tilly, McAdam, and Tarrow’s foundational social movement framework of “repertories of contention,” alongside Deibert’s insights on digital authoritarianism and Chenoweth’s work on nonviolent civil resistance. This framework guides the examination of the interplay between state repression mechanisms, including digital surveillance and disinformation, and the decentralized, digital mobilization strategies employed by young workers. The research employs digital ethnography, participant observation, and surveys to delve into the lived experiences of young workers involved in digital and decentralized labor activism, offering a nuanced understanding of their motivations, challenges, and the states countermeasures. The study argues that despite the Chinese authoritarian regime’s efforts to pre-empt digital activism through sophisticated surveillance and information control tactics, unorganized and decentralized digital mobilization presents a novel form of labor activism. This form of mobilization not only sustains the spirit of labor resistance but also fosters connections with broader social movements, challenging the state’s authoritarian resilience. The research highlights how digital platforms serve as critical spaces for the expression of contested ideas and the organization of labor strikes, thereby contributing to a redefined landscape of political and ideological debates in China. The findings suggest that digital labor activism represents a significant shift in the tactics of labor mobilization under authoritarian regimes, offering new avenues for resistance and potentially reshaping authoritarian durability. Despite the state’s efforts to control and suppress digital activism, the persistence and innovation of unorganized labor mobilization indicate a resilient and adaptive form of collective action. This study contributes to the broader discourse on labor activism in the digital age, emphasizing the importance of understanding digital pathways of resistance within authoritarian contexts. This research directly engages with the session theme of “Internet, Technology, and Social Movements” by demonstrating how digital platforms have become crucial arenas for labor activism and resistance against state repression in China. It offers empirical and theoretical contributions to our understanding of the complex interrelations between technology, social movements, and authoritarian resilience. By examining the role of unorganized labor in the digital age, this study fosters a critical dialogue between social movement research and digital sociology, highlighting the transformative potential of technology in redefining political and social activism.

This paper will be presented at the following session: