ABSTRACT
The increased use of internet not only for business, education, or entertainment but also for expressing opinion and digital activism signified that public sphere could also take place virtually through the internet. This paper aims to explore the digital activism done by Indonesian netizens through online petitions, and how it challenged the possibility of online petition as a form of the digital public sphere in Indonesia. The methods used is literature study on various works of literature and recent petitions in Change.org. This research shows that online petition provides a space for interaction between the marginalized groups, netizens, and the government. Online petitions also facilitate a new form of protest with more dynamic characteristics, including fast and effective communication. Online petition also gives the same right for every citizen to express their concern. However, online petition did not provide much space to promote a critical and deliberative public debate for public.
