Enshittification

The gradual degradation of online platforms as they shift value from users to advertisers and shareholders, ultimately harming everyone.

Enshittification is a term coined by author Cory Doctorow to describe the lifecycle of online platforms as they systematically degrade user experience in pursuit of profit.

The Three Stages

1. Attract users: Platform offers genuine value, often subsidized
2. Extract from users: Quality degrades, ads increase, organic reach declines
3. Extract from advertisers: Even advertisers get worse deals as platform seeks maximum extraction

Examples

• Facebook reducing organic reach to force paid promotion
• Amazon filling search results with ads and knockoffs
• Google prioritizing SEO spam over useful results
• Twitter (X) degrading verification and algorithmic quality

Why It Happens

Platforms face pressure from investors to monetize. Once users are locked in through network effects, platforms can safely degrade experience without losing them.

Resistance

Open protocols, interoperability requirements, and antitrust action are proposed remedies, though the pattern continues across platforms.