Quiet acts, clever subversions: Everyday online resistance in India's authoritarian digital publics

As India's digital sphere faces tightening authoritarianism marked by censorship, surveillance and algorithmic suppression, overt dissent has become risky. Drawing on Scott's ‘hidden transcripts’, this commentary examines how everyday online practices serve as potent acts of resistance. We argue that digital dissent in India operates through hidden subversions that spread throughout ordinary social interactions instead of relying on viral spectacles. Through ethnographic vignettes, the piece maps how citizens navigate shrinking civic spaces via witty memes, coded vernacular references, anonymous handles, disappearing content and regional platforms. The analysis views these resistance practices as cultural expressions which broaden political strategies available to Indian authoritarian governments. These digital resistance methods develop as durable political challenges, different from traditional mass demonstrations. It contributes to debates on online resistance cultures in the Global South. Mapping these digital tactics highlights how ‘quiet acts’ and ‘clever subversions’ enrich resistance in India's authoritarian digital regime.