<![CDATA[This article examines how political narratives are used by the state and elites to delegitimize digital protest movements without relying directly on physical repression. Through a critical literature review of framing, securitization, and hegemony scholarship, this article proposes the concept of “soft deterrence power” as an analytical framework for understanding the use of labels such as “dark riders”, “riot,” and “anti-democratic” in managing the legitimacy of mass movements in digital spaces. A review of seven prior studies (2018–2025) shows that media framing and discourse securitization consistently serve as instruments through which the state/elite shift public perception away from the substance of demands and toward a perceived threat to public order. This study identifies a research gap in the simultaneous integration of framing theory, securitization theory, and soft power theory within the context of electoral democracies such as Indonesia, and formulates an initial conceptual framework for further empirical research.]]>
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