The conventional perspective of learner autonomy aims to cultivate second and foreign language (L2) learners with self-regulated learning strategies they can use to achieve native-like communicative competence. While the perspective can equip L2 learners with certain linguistic coding and decoding skills to take charge of their own learning, it ignores "language as a mode of social action" (Keneman, 2016, p. 87). This article argues to expand the narrow, conventional view of learner autonomy to a broader, critical version, which aims to empower L2 learners to be self-reliant in using the target language as a constructive tool to impact their society instead of simply acquiring native-like pronunciation and superficial understanding of the target culture. Finally, the article includes pedagogical suggestions for how to promote critical learner autonomy step by step via various digital technologies in the L2 writing classroom. Even though the activities and suggestions seem to fit in the college context, with some adaption these practices can be applied to non-tertiary contexts as students in the 21st century are increasingly tech-literate.