From emotional struggles to digital resistance: How content creators challenge platform governance and reconstruct identity in copyright disputes

Abstract

In platform-dominated copyright governance, creators’ efforts to protect their rights increasingly reflect the capital-driven dynamics inherent in social media, contributing to cultural tensions and structural inequalities. While previous scholarship has primarily examined macro-level governance mechanisms, less attention has been paid to how creators interpret these structures and enact digital resistance at the micro-level. This study analyses 57 self-narrative videos in which Chinese creators publicly contest copyright disputes on mainstream platforms, using thematic analysis to explore their interpretive frameworks, resistance strategies, and broader cultural implications. The findings show that digital resistance functions not as an isolated emotional expression but as an emergent response to the erosion of platforms’ perceived neutrality. Resistance unfolds progressively—from questioning institutional practices and mobilizing public support to redefining concepts of originality, culture, and identity. Situated within China’s commercialized, algorithmically mediated platform environment, the study proposes that digital resistance serves as a process of identity reconstruction. It contributes to platform governance research by highlighting micro-level emotional dynamics and culturally embedded modes of expression.