← Back to Concept Index

democratization-of-justice

The leveling of traditional power hierarchies by enabling ordinary individuals to participate in social accountability through digital means.

1 chapter across 1 book

So You've Been Publicly Shamed (2015)Jon Ronson

Chapter 7

Jon Ronson discovers a spambot impersonating him on Twitter, created by academics who defend it as an 'infomorph' rather than identity theft, leading to a confrontation that explores the tension between authentic identity and postmodern digital representations. Following a public shaming campaign that successfully pressured the creators to shut down the spambot, Ronson reflects on the resurgence of social media shaming as a democratizing and powerful tool for collective justice, motivating him to investigate future cases of public shaming.