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 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.