Digital Activism and Legitimacy of Law Enforcement (Case Study of "No Viral, No Justice" in the National Data Center Corruption Case)
Keywords:
“No Viral No Justice”, legal legitimacy, digital political participation, netnography, National Data Center.Abstract
The “No Viral No Justice” phenomenon reflects a crisis of legal legitimacy in Indonesia, where law enforcement often only takes action after a case goes viral on social media. This study aims to analyze how the crisis of legal legitimacy, digital public pressure, uncoventional political participation, regulatory gaps, and media narratives shape the dynamics of law enforcement. The research method used was Netnography, collecting data from social media (Twitter/X, TikTok) and online news portals. Analysis was conducted though thematic coding of public posts , media acoounts, and public comments highlighting issues releted to the National Data Center. Reseacrh findings indicate that digital pressure from netizens acts as a primary catalyst, compelling legal institutions to respond swiftly to safeguard their public image. However, this pattern of virality driven law enforcement fosters selective case handling and widens the justice gap for those lacking digital acces. The study’s implications underscore the need for structural reform in law enforcement responsiveness to ensure it does not rely on online publik pressure. Advances in information technology have transformed the landscape of the relationship between the state and its critizens in Indonesia, the :No Viral No Justice” phenomenon has emerged as both a form of protest and an expression of public non-confidence in the performance of law enforcement agencies. When formal channels are perceived as slow and bureaucratic, social media transforms into a public courtroom a venue for enforcing justice that compels authorities to act more swiftly.
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