Numbers have been studied as governance and domination tools in the neoliberal order. In this study, we take a different stance and study the ethico-political power of numbers. Relying on the burgeoning literature on counter accounts and Statactivism, we analyze how numbers can be mobilized to reassert a work ethos through counter accounts. Our study investigates French public-health professionals' action to denounce New Public Management practices. We use Facebook content (March 2019-21) from two groups of health professionals as data sources. Our preliminary results show that through quantification, health professionals objectify their situation and make visible how they are pushed outside their “ethical-comfort zone”. This research answers recent calls to investigate the ethics of numbers. More precisely, the aim of this research is to contribute to the literature on the use of numbers and statistics in activism by outlining that numbers are not only “political” but can also become “ethical”.
