In this episode in the series Beyond Global Waves, we focus on the concept of enshittification. This term, also known as crapification or platform decay, describes the pattern where online products and services decline in quality over time. Coined by writer Cory Doctorow in November 2022, enshittification follows a predictable three-stage cycle. Initially, platforms offer high-quality services to attract users. Once a user base is established, the platform shifts its focus to better-serving business customers. Finally, the platform degrades services for both users and business customers to maximise profits for shareholders. This seemingly inevitable consequence arises from the ease of changing how a platform allocates value in a two-sided market, where the platform mediates between buyers and sellers.
We provide numerous examples illustrating the enshittification cycle across various online platforms. Amazon initially attracted users with low prices and free shipping before increasing fees and prioritising paid advertisements in search results. Google Search similarly degraded from relevant results with minimal ads to an ad-saturated platform that may soon prioritise AI-generated content over direct answers. Social media platforms like Facebook first built a critical mass of users before prioritising media company posts and then paid boosted content, leading to a decline in user experience. Even dating apps can become enshittified by prioritising user retention and monetisation over their primary goal of matchmaking. More recent examples include Reddit charging for API access, effectively shutting down third-party apps, and the changes to Twitter/X after its acquisition, including API restrictions, reduced moderation, and algorithm modifications.
Doctorow advocates for two main principles to combat enshittification: upholding the end-to-end principle, ensuring platforms deliver what users request rather than algorithmically curated content, and guaranteeing the right of exit, allowing users to leave platforms without data loss through interoperability. The underlying causes of enshittification are identified as monopolisation, regulatory capture, and the use of cloud computing for algorithmic manipulation (termed twiddling) to extract maximum value. Strategies to reverse this trend include reviving antitrust enforcement, breaking regulatory capture, and restoring interoperability and user rights, such as the right to repair and data portability. Ultimately, the goal is to shift the digital landscape to one that prioritises utility and equity over-exploitation.
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