Definition:
Requirements theatre is the performance of technical, procedural, or eligibility requirements as objective necessity, even when those requirements are arbitrary, overstated, or selectively enforced.
Usage Context:
Seen in software compatibility checks, platform access rules, eligibility assessments, compliance systems, and institutional gatekeeping.
Critical Note:
Requirements theatre shifts responsibility onto the individual by presenting exclusion as technical fact rather than design choice. By framing decisions as neutral constraints, institutions avoid accountability for who is included, excluded, or forced to upgrade, comply, or disengage.
Related Terms:
Gatekeeping, False Neutrality, Legibility Requirement, Administrative Violence, Policy Shielding