Paper Number
ICIS2025-2281
Paper Type
Short
Abstract
The rapid expansion of creator economies on digital platforms has heightened the need for effective content moderation systems. Platforms increasingly deploy AI-based algorithmic gatekeeping to manage the unprecedented scale of user-generated content, yet we know little about how these systems affect creator visibility and economic outcomes. This paper examines how platforms' algorithmic content moderation shapes creator performance in digital ecosystems. Drawing on platform governance theory and algorithmic management research, we develop a framework for understanding AI-enhanced gatekeeping in creator economies. To empirically validate this framework, we propose a mixed-methods approach combining platform data with creator interviews to examine how algorithmic gatekeeping affects creator performance and adaptation strategies across different creator segments. This study will extend platform governance theory by conceptualizing algorithmic gatekeeping as a distinct mechanism and identifying differential impacts, while providing practical insights for platform operators designing equitable moderation systems and creators developing adaptation strategies in AI-moderated ecosystems.
Recommended Citation
Zhou, Yang; LI, Huifang; Yin, Pengzhen; and Feng, xintong, "Algorithmic Gatekeeping and Creator Economy: Differential Effects of Content Moderation on Digital Platforms" (2025). ICIS 2025 Proceedings. 18.
https://aisel.aisnet.org/icis2025/sharing_econ/sharing_econ/18
Algorithmic Gatekeeping and Creator Economy: Differential Effects of Content Moderation on Digital Platforms
The rapid expansion of creator economies on digital platforms has heightened the need for effective content moderation systems. Platforms increasingly deploy AI-based algorithmic gatekeeping to manage the unprecedented scale of user-generated content, yet we know little about how these systems affect creator visibility and economic outcomes. This paper examines how platforms' algorithmic content moderation shapes creator performance in digital ecosystems. Drawing on platform governance theory and algorithmic management research, we develop a framework for understanding AI-enhanced gatekeeping in creator economies. To empirically validate this framework, we propose a mixed-methods approach combining platform data with creator interviews to examine how algorithmic gatekeeping affects creator performance and adaptation strategies across different creator segments. This study will extend platform governance theory by conceptualizing algorithmic gatekeeping as a distinct mechanism and identifying differential impacts, while providing practical insights for platform operators designing equitable moderation systems and creators developing adaptation strategies in AI-moderated ecosystems.
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19-SharingEconomy