Abstract: Air pollution control is an important part of China’s implementation of the concept of green development, strengthening ecological civilization construction, and pursuing high-quality development. The digital economy, as a new economic form based on digital and information technologies, provides a new possible perspective for air pollution control. Based on a theoretical analysis of the empowerment of digital economy development in air pollution control, this study empirically examines the role and potential mechanisms of digital economy development in air pollution control using panel data from 212 Chinese cities from 2013 to 2019, and further analyzes the spatial spillover effects. The results show that digital economy development could promote urban air pollution control, and this result remains valid after a series of endogeneity treatments and robustness tests. In central cities with high administrative levels, non-resource cities, non-industrial cities, and cities in the eastern and western regions, the role of digital economy development in air pollution control is more significant. Digital economy development mainly plays a role in air pollution control through three paths: industrial structure upgrading effect, technological progress effect, and energy transformation effect. Digital economy development has a significant spatial spillover effect on air pollution control.