Journal of Applied Science and Engineering

Published by Tamkang University Press

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Platform Power and User Resistance: Navigating Agency in China’s Data-Driven Economy

 2026

 Volume 34

Yanjun Fang1 and Xiaomin Yin2

1Business school, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, Shandong, China

2Zhejiang Shuren University, Hangzhou 310015, Zhejiang, China

Received: April 01, 2026
Accepted: April 29, 2026
Publication Date: August 05, 2026

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Research Design Framework for Qualitative Exploratory Case Study 

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This study examines user behavior within China’s state-aligned digital platforms, including Weibo, Zhihu, and WeChat, highlighting the dynamic negotiation of agency under surveillance and algorithmic control. Using digital ethnography with 40 participants, findings show resistance as subtle and adaptive rather than overt. Over 75% practiced self-censorship to retain access, 65% used memes and coded language to critique authority,
and 60% adopted redeployment strategies such as platform switching or restricted sharing. Results reveal platform control as both constraint and necessity, with user agency expressed through tactical, context-aware, and emotionally driven everyday digital practices.

Keywords: Platform Governance, User Resistance, Algorithmic Governance, Digital Surveillance, User Agency

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