Perceptions of Algorithmic Gatekeeping, Visibility Uncertainty, and Algorithmic Resistance Practices Among TikTok Content Creators in Indonesia
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.71238/jcmpl.v1i01.191Abstract
The emergence of algorithm-driven social media platforms has transformed the way digital content is produced, distributed, and consumed. This study examines the relationship between perceptions of algorithmic gatekeeping, visibility uncertainty, and algorithmic resistance practices among TikTok content creators in Indonesia. The research employed a quantitative approach using a survey method involving 150 TikTok content creators. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire measured using a five-point Likert scale and analyzed using SPSS version 25. The data analysis included descriptive statistics, validity and reliability testing, classical assumption testing, and multiple regression analysis to examine the proposed relationships among variables. The findings indicate that content creators perceive TikTok’s algorithm as a significant gatekeeping mechanism that influences content distribution and audience exposure. The regression results demonstrate that algorithmic gatekeeping perception has a positive and significant effect on visibility uncertainty. Furthermore, algorithmic gatekeeping perception and visibility uncertainty significantly influence algorithmic resistance practices. These findings indicate that uncertainty regarding algorithmic visibility encourages creators to develop adaptive strategies, including content optimization, trend adaptation, and engagement management. This study contributes to understanding how digital creators negotiate algorithmic control within platform-based environments, particularly in the Indonesian TikTok ecosystem.
References
Bhandari, A., & Bimo, S. (2022). Why’s Everyone on TikTok Now? The Algorithmized Self and the Future of Self-Making on Social Media. Social Media + Society, 8(1), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1177/20563051221086241
Bucher, T. (2012). Want to be on the top? Algorithmic power and the threat of invisibility on Facebook. New Media & Society, 14(7), 1164–1180. https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444812440159
Bucher, T. (2017). The algorithmic imaginary: exploring the ordinary affects of Facebook algorithms. Information, Communication & Society, 20(1), 30–44. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369118X.2016.1154086
Cotter, K. (2019). Playing the visibility game: How digital influencers and algorithms negotiate influence on Instagram. New Media & Society, 21(4), 895–913. https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444818815684
Duffy, B. E., & Meisner, C. (2023). Platform governance at the margins: Social media creators’ experiences with algorithmic (in)visibility. Media, Culture & Society, 45(2), 285–304. https://doi.org/10.1177/01634437221111923
Entrena-Serrano, C. (2025). Watch, Scroll, Repeat: How Interface Design Shapes Consumptive Curation Affordances on TikTok. Social Media + Society, 11(3), 20563051251358530. https://doi.org/10.1177/20563051251358529
Fu, H., & Fung, A. (2024). The harder I work, the luckier I get: how rural streamers perceive and cope with the algorithmic gaze on Taobao Live. Communication, Culture and Critique, 17(4), 309–317. https://doi.org/10.1093/ccc/tcae021
Gerbaudo, P. (2024). TikTok and the algorithmic transformation of social media publics: From social networks to social interest clusters. New Media & Society, 28(3), 1019–1036. https://doi.org/10.1177/14614448241304106
Liang, Y., Li, J., Aroles, J., & Granter, E. (2025). Content Creation within the Algorithmic Environment: A Systematic Review. Work, Employment and Society, 39(4), 787–813. https://doi.org/10.1177/09500170251325784
Mendonça, R. F., Filgueiras, F., & Almeida, V. A. F. (2023). The Infrapolitics of Algorithmic Resistance. Communications of the ACM, 66(11), 32–34. https://doi.org/10.1145/3573008
Meng, Z. (2024). Cross-platform sensitivity and algorithmic adaptability: How transnational creators navigate algorithms across Chinese and US-based platforms. New Media & Society, 28(3), 1171–1189. https://doi.org/10.1177/14614448241307578
Verwiebe, R., Buder, C., Weissmann, S., Osorio-Krauter, C., & Philipp, A. (2024). The algorithm is like a mercurial god: Exploring content creators’ perception of algorithmic agency on YouTube. New Media & Society, 28(3), 1219–1238. https://doi.org/10.1177/14614448241307931
Xie, X., Du, Y., & Bai, Q. (2022). Why do people resist algorithms? From the perspective of short video usage motivations. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 941640. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.941640
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Apriyanto, KMT Lasmiatun (Author)

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.






