The internet is changing, and unfortunately, not for the better. Online platforms and services are following a concerning trend known as “enshittification.” This term describes how digital products initially attract users with high-quality offerings but gradually degrade their services to prioritize profits. Enshittification threatens the internet’s core value as an essential tool for modern life. As these platforms focus on maximizing shareholder returns, users experience a decline in the quality of search results, social media feeds, and e-commerce recommendations. This troubling trend impacts various aspects of life, including employment, education, communication, and even personal relationships that occur online.
Experts and industry leaders are increasingly aware of the effects of enshittification, noting issues such as increased spam, an influx of AI-generated content, and algorithms that prioritize engagement over user benefit. These changes make it more challenging for individuals to find reliable information and connect meaningfully online.
What Is Enshittification
The term “enshittification” was coined by Cory Doctorow to describe the gradual decline of online platforms and services. It refers to the process by which platforms prioritize the interests of advertisers and shareholders over those of users, resulting in a degradation of the user experience. This often manifests as increased advertisements, intrusive tracking, algorithmic manipulation, and a decline in content quality. Doctorow argues that enshittification is a predictable pattern in the evolution of online platforms. In their early stages, these platforms attract users by offering valuable services and features. However, as they gain popularity and market dominance, they begin to prioritize monetization, often at the expense of user experience. This shift can lead to decreased user satisfaction and drive users to seek alternatives.
Several factors contribute to enshittification:
- Advertising revenue: Platforms rely heavily on advertising revenue, which incentivizes them to maximize ad impressions and engagement, even if it means sacrificing user experience.
- Shareholder pressure: Publicly traded companies face pressure from shareholders to prioritize profits, which can lead to short-term decision-making that negatively impacts the long-term health of the platform.
- Lack of competition: In markets dominated by a few large players, users have limited alternatives, giving platforms more leverage to implement changes that benefit themselves rather than users.
- Algorithmic manipulation: Algorithms are used to personalize content and ads, but they can also create filter bubbles, echo chambers, and promote misinformation, leading to a distorted and less valuable online experience.
Examples of enshittification can be seen across various online platforms:
- Social media: Increased ads, algorithmic feeds that prioritize engagement over chronological order, and the spread of misinformation.
- Streaming services: Rising subscription costs, password-sharing crackdowns, and the introduction of ad-supported tiers.
- Online marketplaces: Increased fees for sellers, algorithmic promotion of certain products, and a rise in counterfeit or low-quality goods.
The consequences of enshittification are significant:
- Decline in user satisfaction: Users become frustrated with the degraded experience, leading to decreased engagement and platform abandonment.
- Reduced innovation: Platforms focus on monetization rather than developing new features or improving existing ones.
- Centralization of power: A few large platforms dominate the market, limiting user choice and control.
- Spread of misinformation: Algorithmic manipulation can amplify misinformation and create echo chambers, hindering informed discourse.
Enshittification is a complex issue with no easy solutions. However, there are steps that can be taken to mitigate its effects:
- Support alternative platforms: Explore and support platforms that prioritize user experience and ethical monetization models.
- Demand better regulation: Advocate for policies that protect user privacy, promote competition, and limit the harmful effects of algorithmic manipulation.
- Be mindful of your online behavior: Be aware of how platforms use your data and make conscious choices about the content you consume and share.
By understanding the dynamics of enshittification and taking proactive steps, we can help shape a better future for the internet.
“Victims” of Enshittification
It’s tricky to definitively say a platform has “suffered” from enshittification, as the process is gradual and subjective. What one user sees as decline, another might find acceptable. However, here’s a table of major companies and websites where enshittification has been widely observed or discussed, along with the common criticisms:
| Platform | Type | Enshittification Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Social Network | Increased ads, algorithmic feed prioritization, spread of misinformation, privacy concerns | |
| Twitter/X | Social Network | Increased ads, algorithmic timeline, changes favoring paid accounts, rise of bots and spam |
| Social Network | Shift to video-focused content, increased ads, influencer culture, focus on shopping features | |
| YouTube | Video Sharing | Increased and longer ads, demonetization of creators, algorithmic promotion of low-quality content |
| Community Forum | Increased ads, API changes harming third-party apps, controversies over content moderation | |
| Netflix | Streaming Service | Price hikes, password-sharing crackdowns, introduction of ad-supported tier |
| Spotify | Music Streaming | Increased ads for free users, limited features without premium, algorithm favoring popular artists |
| Amazon | Online Retail | Counterfeit goods, prioritizing its own products, algorithmic manipulation of search results |
| Google Search | Search Engine | Prioritization of ads and paid results, decline in organic search quality |
| Airbnb | Rental Platform | Increased fees, complex pricing, focus on professional hosts over individual renters |
| Uber | Ride-hailing | Surge pricing, driver dissatisfaction, algorithmic manipulation of fares |
Important Notes:
- This is not an exhaustive list, and the “evidence” is based on common user complaints and criticisms.
- Enshittification is a matter of degree, and these platforms still provide value to many users.
- Some platforms are actively trying to combat these issues, while others seem to be accelerating the trend.
- The long-term impact of enshittification on these platforms remains to be seen.
Key Takeaways
- Enshittification degrades online services to prioritize profits over user experience
- This trend affects essential aspects of modern life conducted on the internet
- Experts are concerned about declining quality of online content and interactions
The Concept of Enshittification
Enshittification describes the gradual decline of online platforms due to profit-driven decisions that prioritize short-term gains over user experience. This phenomenon affects various aspects of the internet ecosystem.
Defining Enshittification
Enshittification refers to the process by which digital platforms deteriorate over time. The term combines “en-” (to make) with a crude word for “low quality.” It captures the idea that popular online services become less useful and more frustrating for users as they prioritize profits.
The concept applies to social media sites, e-commerce platforms, and other internet services. These platforms often start by offering value to users. They then leverage their user base to attract business customers. Finally, they exploit both groups to maximize profits.
This cycle leads to a worse experience for everyone involved. Users face more ads, less relevant content, and privacy invasions. Businesses struggle with higher fees and reduced reach. The platform itself may eventually decline as users and businesses leave.
Cory Doctorow’s Perspective
Cory Doctorow, a tech author and activist, popularized the term “enshittification” in 2022. He argues that this process is inevitable for platforms operating under current economic models.
Doctorow views enshittification as a result of surveillance capitalism and monopolistic practices. He points out how platforms collect user data to create targeted advertising systems. This data becomes a valuable asset, leading companies to prioritize its collection over user needs.
He also highlights how large tech companies use their market power to stifle competition. This lack of alternatives allows platforms to degrade their services without losing users. Doctorow advocates for stronger regulation and antitrust measures to combat these trends.
Roles of Capitalism and Technology
The enshittification process stems from the intersection of capitalism and technology. Platform capitalism, a business model where companies act as intermediaries between users and service providers, plays a key role.
These platforms often employ rent-seeking behaviors. They extract value from transactions without creating new value themselves. This approach can lead to higher costs for users and businesses while reducing overall economic efficiency.
Technology enables this process through sophisticated algorithms and data collection methods. These tools allow platforms to optimize for engagement and ad revenue, often at the expense of user experience.
Planned obsolescence, a strategy of designing products to become outdated quickly, also contributes to enshittification in hardware and software. This practice forces users to continually upgrade, generating more profits for companies but creating frustration and waste.
Impacts and Solutions for Enshittification
Enshittification degrades online platforms and services, harming users and the digital economy. This trend has far-reaching consequences, but potential solutions exist to address its effects.
Effects on User Experience and Privacy
Enshittification erodes user experience through intrusive ads, algorithm manipulation, and reduced functionality. Platforms prioritize advertiser interests over user needs, leading to cluttered interfaces and irrelevant content.
Privacy suffers as companies harvest more user data to fuel targeted advertising. Users lose control over their personal information, facing increased risks of data breaches and unauthorized sharing.
Content moderation becomes inconsistent or biased, further diminishing user satisfaction. Quality declines as platforms favor quantity and engagement metrics over valuable interactions.
Examining Market Competition and Interoperability
Enshittification stifles competition by creating walled gardens and vendor lock-in. Dominant platforms use their market power to crush or acquire potential rivals, reducing consumer choice.
Lack of interoperability prevents users from easily switching services or accessing their data across platforms. This reduces innovation and reinforces monopolistic practices.
Smaller companies struggle to compete with tech giants’ vast resources and user bases. The digital economy becomes less diverse and dynamic as a result.
Future Pathways and Technological Self-Determination
Solutions to enshittification focus on empowering users and promoting a healthier digital ecosystem. Legislation like the EU’s Digital Markets Act aims to increase competition and interoperability.
Open protocols and decentralized technologies offer alternatives to centralized platforms. These approaches give users more control over their online experiences and data.
Improved algorithmic transparency and user-controlled recommendation systems can rebalance platform incentives. Education about digital rights and privacy helps users make informed choices.
Community-owned platforms and cooperatives present alternative business models that prioritize user interests over profit maximization.
Frequently Asked Questions
Enshittification has become a growing concern for internet users and digital platforms. This phenomenon impacts user experiences, platform functionality, and the overall digital ecosystem.
What is meant by the term ‘enshittification’ in relation to the internet?
Enshittification refers to the gradual decline in quality of digital platforms and services. It occurs when companies prioritize profits over user experience. This process often leads to reduced functionality, increased ads, and diminished value for users.
In what ways has enshittification impacted user experience online?
Users face more ads, paywalls, and intrusive data collection practices. Many platforms have become less intuitive and harder to navigate. Content quality has decreased on some sites, with AI-generated or low-effort posts becoming more common.
Who first coined the term enshittification in the context of the internet, and what is the concept’s origin?
Cory Doctorow, a tech journalist and activist, popularized the term “enshittification” in relation to internet platforms. He used it to describe how digital services degrade over time as companies focus on maximizing profits at the expense of user satisfaction.
Are there notable examples that illustrate the process of enshittification in digital platforms?
Social media platforms have added more ads and algorithmic content. Some e-commerce sites have increased sponsored listings and made organic search results less prominent. Video streaming services have raised prices while adding commercial breaks to previously ad-free tiers.
What measures can be taken to prevent or counteract the enshittification of online services?
Stronger regulations on data privacy and platform transparency could help. Supporting alternative platforms and open-source projects is another approach. Users can also voice concerns and choose services that prioritize user experience over short-term profits.
Is there a way to reverse enshittification in internet ecosystems, and what strategies have been proposed?
Some experts suggest increased competition could force platforms to improve. Others advocate for user-owned cooperatives as alternatives to profit-driven models. Decentralized technologies and blockchain-based systems have also been proposed as potential solutions to combat enshittification.
