Cory Doctorow coined the term “enshittification” to describe the predictable decline of online platforms. It’s a three-stage process: first, platforms are great for users; then, they become good for business; finally, they are terrible for everyone except the platform itself. This isn’t just a theoretical concept; we see it playing out in real-time across various sectors, impacting everything from social media to streaming services.
Stage 1: Honey for the Bees (User Focus)
In the beginning, platforms prioritize attracting users. They offer valuable features, a pleasant user experience, and often subsidize services to build a loyal base. Think early Facebook, where users could connect with friends for free, or early Amazon, which provided low prices and free shipping. This phase is about rapid growth and establishing market dominance. It’s all about offering a service that feels indispensable, creating a foundation of trust and dependence.
Example: Early Netflix, with its ad-free experience and vast library of movies, was a dream for subscribers. Users were thrilled by the platform’s seamless user experience, binge-watching potential, and constant innovation.
Stage 2: Milking the Hive (Business Focus)
Once a platform has a significant user base, the focus shifts to monetization. This phase often introduces advertising, charging for premium features, or leveraging user data. While some changes might benefit users, the primary goal is maximizing revenue. We’ve seen this happen with Facebook, as the company increased ad density and adjusted algorithms to prioritize engagement over genuine connection. Similarly, Amazon gradually moved away from loss-leader strategies, raising prices and shifting towards a Prime subscription model.
Example: As Netflix moved into Stage 2, users began to notice price hikes, more ads, and content being removed. The focus on profit became more visible as the company’s goal shifted from user satisfaction to sustaining growth through new revenue models like subscriptions and ads.
Stage 3: Excrement for Everyone (Platform Focus)
This is the enshittification stage. The platform prioritizes its own interests above all else, often at the expense of both users and businesses that rely on it. We see manipulative dark patterns, exploitative pricing, and the degradation of core services. The result is a frustrating experience for users, and often, the platform becomes less useful for both casual users and businesses.
Social Media: Twitter (now X) exemplifies this stage. Under new ownership, drastic changes to content moderation, verification, and API access have alienated users and developers. The platform is now arguably less reliable for both casual users and businesses that depended on it for marketing or engagement. This reflects a broader issue as platforms become less transparent and more difficult to navigate.
Example: Many users and businesses have expressed frustration over the changes in Twitter’s API access and verification processes, which have directly impacted how people interact with and rely on the platform.
Streaming Services: Netflix, once lauded for its expansive library and ad-free experience, now faces criticism for increasing prices, cracking down on password sharing, and introducing ad-supported tiers. This shift reflects a clear move from user satisfaction to profit maximization, even if it means alienating loyal subscribers. Such changes are discussed in economic and social commentary, as they impact household budgets and entertainment consumption habits.
Example: Netflix’s increasing subscription fees and the introduction of ads have made some subscribers feel like they are paying more for less, highlighting the move towards maximizing profit while eroding user satisfaction.
E-commerce Marketplaces: Amazon’s increasing dominance has led to growing concerns about its treatment of third-party sellers. High fees, opaque algorithms, and the prioritization of Amazon’s own private label products create an uneven playing field. Small businesses struggle to compete, and concerns about monopolistic practices are becoming more pronounced. These issues are part of broader debates about the role of Big Tech in the economy.
Example: Small businesses are now facing an uphill battle on Amazon’s platform, with increasing fees and the promotion of Amazon’s private labels over third-party sellers.
The Underlying Mechanisms
Several factors contribute to enshittification:
- Network Effects: Platforms with large user bases become more valuable, creating a barrier to entry for competitors. This allows them to exploit their position without fear of losing users en masse.
- Lack of Regulation: Regulatory frameworks often struggle to keep pace with the rapid evolution of online platforms, allowing them to operate with limited oversight. This is a critical issue as governments worldwide try to figure out how to regulate Big Tech and protect consumers.
- Short-Term Profit Maximization: The pressure to deliver short-term profits often outweighs long-term sustainability and user satisfaction, leading to decisions that undermine the platform’s quality.
Fighting the Inevitable?
While enshittification might seem inevitable, there are ways to mitigate its impact. The solutions are multifaceted, but they are not out of reach.
- Promoting Competition: Encouraging antitrust enforcement and policies that promote innovation can prevent monopolies from forming. Supporting startups and new platforms offers users more choices and prevents market dominance by a few major players.
Example: The rise of decentralized platforms like Mastodon offers an alternative to traditional social media, which could help mitigate some of the negative effects of enshittification.
- Strengthening User Rights: Regulations that protect user data and ensure transparency can empower users to make informed choices. For example, the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) has set a precedent for protecting user data and holding platforms accountable.
Example: GDPR’s implementation has forced platforms to take user privacy more seriously, encouraging a shift towards more user-friendly practices.
- Supporting Alternative Platforms: Encouraging the development of decentralized and community-owned platforms provides an alternative to the centralized services that often prioritize profit over user satisfaction.
Example: Platforms like Reddit, despite their flaws, have fostered a sense of community and ownership through user-driven moderation and content creation, demonstrating that user-centric models can succeed.
Enshittification is not just a quirky internet term; it describes a real and concerning trend with significant consequences for users, businesses, and society at large. By understanding its mechanisms and advocating for change, we can strive for a more equitable and user-centric digital landscape.
The key to fighting enshittification lies in creating a healthier digital ecosystem, one that values competition, transparency, and user rights over short-term profits. As users, consumers, and advocates, we have the power to demand a better online experience.
