Social Justice Narratives in Platform Governance Battles: Can Peer Support Fend Off Hypocrisy Accusations?

Platform governance literature has primarily focused on the platform owner’s perspective, overlooking how complementors can effectively influence governance changes. Our research highlights complementors’ activities, examining how a social justice narrative helps them gain support for change efforts. Across three studies, we (a) identify a novel mechanism, the Robin Hood perception, and explain why this narrative is effective in generating support; (b) show that hypocrisy accusations harm the narrative, in turn reducing support; and (c) find that peer firm mobilization shields complementors from this adverse effect. These findings enhance our understanding of how complementors can garner support for governance changes. They pave the way for further research on how actors beyond platform owners can shape the rules and direction of digital platforms.