Epistemic Dispossession in Platform Capitalism: Insights from Iris Marion Young’s Five Faces of Oppression

This article develops the concept of epistemic dispossession as a distinctive structural form of epistemic injustice arising under platform capitalism. Epistemic dispossession occurs when socio-technical infrastructures systematically extract, suppress, or appropriate epistemic resources, such as knowledge, data, and communicative contributions, from marginalised groups, depriving them of both epistemic agency and the benefits derived from their knowledge production. Building upon Iris Marion Young’s theory of structural injustice and oppression, the article illustrates how epistemic dispossession manifests along Young’s five faces of oppression: exploitation, marginalisation, powerlessness, cultural imperialism, and violence. Through an examination of contemporary digital platforms, the article demonstrates how algorithmic practices, profit-driven incentives, and content moderation systems structurally reproduce these injustices. The article contrasts epistemic dispossession with existing theories of epistemic injustice, arguing that this concept highlights the political-economic dimensions of epistemic harm that are less salient in the literature. Finally, drawing upon Young’s communicative democracy and social connection model of responsibility, the article sheds light on a range of institutional remedies to counter epistemic dispossession and uphold epistemic justice in digital public spheres.