Seeking Justice Through Crowdsourcing?

Crowdsourced vigilantism is a newly emerging practice where undefined Internet users expose misconducts and identify culprits in the form of crowdsourcing. This study proposes a theory-oriented framework with which we examine how exposure to press reports and social media use drive the practice of crowdsourced vigilantism to prevail as a social norm and impact individuals’ attitudes (perceived usefulness vs. perceived harmfulness) as well as behaviors (adoption vs. regulation). This framework was tested with web survey data of 486 adults in Taiwan. Results showed that exposure to press reports on crowdsourced vigilantism was both directly and indirectly associated individuals’ acceptance of or resistance to the practice. The indirect association was mediated by perceived social prevalence and perceived social approval of the practice.