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@article{195028,
        author = {Prince Kumar},
        title = {The Death of Hashtags: Algorithmic Suppression and the Silencing of Digital Activism},
        journal = {International Journal of Innovative Research in Technology},
        year = {2026},
        volume = {12},
        number = {10},
        pages = {6152-6161},
        issn = {2349-6002},
        url = {https://ijirt.org/article?manuscript=195028},
        abstract = {Hashtags once stood at the heart of digital activism. Movements like #MeToo, #BlackLivesMatter, and #FarmersProtest showed how a simple phrase could gather thousands of voices, spread across platforms, and become a symbol of solidarity. Hashtags worked like short cultural texts, easy to repeat, easy to share, and powerful in uniting communities. Today, however, hashtags are losing their power. Platforms like Instagram and X (formerly Twitter) no longer use hashtags as a main way to increase visibility, and in many cases, activist hashtags have been directly blocked, hidden, or pushed down by algorithms.
The aim of this paper is to study this decline, what I call the “death of hashtags.” It focuses on how hashtags are being suppressed, both through state orders and platform policies. The paper uses two case studies: the temporary blocking of #FarmersProtest hashtags on Twitter under government pressure, and the removal of Palestinian activism posts on Meta platforms. The method is a qualitative analysis of these events, supported by media reports, platform announcements, and scholarly discussions.
The originality of this work lies in shifting attention from celebrating hashtag activism to exploring why hashtags no longer work as they once did. The expected finding is that hashtags are being replaced by algorithm-based feeds, where platforms control what becomes visible. This change makes it harder for activism to trend, and raises larger questions about authorship, access, and memory in digital spaces. However, the “death” framing does not imply that activists have surrendered. The paper also traces how movements adapt, resist, and find new pathways when the old tools of mobilisation are taken from them.},
        keywords = {hashtags, digital activism, algorithm, suppression, cultural memory, platform governance, digital authoritarianism},
        month = {March},
        }