Table of Contents
Enshittification (Definition & Meaning)
Enshittification, also known as creepification or platform decay, is a process or pattern in which the quality of online products and services gradually decreases. In this trend, platforms or services initially provide high-quality services to attract users. Later, they reduce quality by prioritizing business customers and eventually limit their offerings to consumers and business customers in order to increase profits for their shareholders.
Enshittification detection and prevention measures aim not only to maintain the quality of online services but also to restore consumer confidence and promote a competitive environment. This can ensure transparency and user satisfaction in the digital world. Cory Doctorow suggests two basic principles for dealing with this phenomenon: This principle emphasizes that platforms should transmit data in response to user requests, not based on algorithms. It aims to prioritize the needs of customers. Users should be given the right to leave any platform without losing their data. This requires ensuring interoperability (data compatibility between platforms).
Origin of the term Enshittification
Author Corey Doctorow coined the term in November 2022. Although the concept had been discussed before, Doctorow defined and popularized the phenomenon under a comprehensive term.
- In 2023, the American Dialect Society named Enshittification its Word of the Year.
- In 2024, Macquarie Dictionary of Australia also chose it as word of the year.
History
Enshittification is a process in which the quality of online platforms or services gradually declines. Initially, these platforms offer high-quality services to attract users. When users start relying on these platforms, the quality starts to decline. It aims to leverage business users, and ultimately, the platform’s focus is on increasing shareholder returns. This process severely affects the platform’s quality, reliability, and user experience.
“Platforms are initially good for consumers, then prioritize business users, and eventually, unfairly treat both for their own benefit.”
Cory Doctorow introduced the term “Enshittification” in a blog post in November 2022, which was later republished in Locus and Wired magazines in January 2023. Doctorow described it this way: “Platforms are initially good for consumers, then prioritize business users, and eventually, unfairly treat both for their own benefit.” In 2023, the American Dialect Society named “Enshittification” its Word of the Year, while in 2024 the Australian Macquarie Dictionary also named it Word of the Year.
Users should be free to leave the platform without losing their data or purchased content. For this, it is important to ensure interoperability so that competition between platforms can be created. The phenomenon of Enshittification can be seen across many platforms in today’s digital world. The principles proposed by Cory Doctorow are important for protecting the rights of consumers and maintaining the quality of online platforms. This term helps to understand the complexities of the online market and consumer behavior, and paves the way for developing better digital policies for the future.
Mechanism of Enshittification
According to Cory Doctorow, platforms go through the Enshittification process in three stages:
- Attracting customers: Beneficial products and services are provided by incurring losses.
- Locking in suppliers: Discounts are given for locking in business customers to the platform.
- Focus on shareholders: All profits are transferred to shareholders, to the detriment of customers and suppliers.
Effects of this problem
- Platforms become monopolies.
- Users find it difficult to leave the platform despite better alternatives.
- The quality of services decreases, and consumers and business users suffer.
Principles for Preventing Enshittification
End-to-end Principles
Platforms should provide users with what they want, without any algorithmic bias. For example, users should be allowed to view their subscribed content directly, and search engines should show original search results rather than sponsored results on a priority basis.
Right to opt out
Users should be free to leave the platform without losing their data or purchased content. For this, it is important to ensure interoperability so that competition between platforms can be created.
2020: Lil Bot 3 and other projects
In February 2020, Lil Yachty collaborated with fellow Atlanta artists Lil Kidd, Lil Gott, and Zeitoun on a collaborative mixtape A-Team. On March 9, he released the lead single “Oprah’s Bank Account” for his third album Lil’ Boot 3, featuring Drake and Dobby. A 9-minute parody video was also released for the song. The album was released on May 29, 2020 and debuted at number 14 on the Billboard 200.
In 2020, Lil Yachty also released Michigan Boy Boat, a project inspired by Detroit’s rap scene, which was a departure from his traditional pop-rap style. During 2020, Yachi became quite popular on TikTok and gained a huge following on the platform. He performed the theme song for the revival of Saved by the Bull and also contributed to the music album for the 25th anniversary of Pokémon. “Poland” and the viral success of 2022 . On October 11, 2022, Yachty released the non-album single “Poland”, which immediately went viral and brought him back into the public spotlight.
Reception and Effects
Cory Doctorow’s concept of “Enshittification” has been adopted by scholars, journalists, and digital experts as an important framework for explaining the declining quality of online platforms. The topic has been discussed on various media platforms, especially how big tech companies like Facebook, Google, and Amazon have prioritized their profits at the expense of the user experience. Tech companies ignore consumer needs to make their services more profitable. This trend has emphasized the need for strict regulations to ensure the integrity and quality of digital platforms. The growing effects of Enshittification have fueled the search for models that are fairer to both consumers and suppliers.
The Australian Macquarie Dictionary named “Enshittification” as its word of the year for 2024. The honor was awarded for only the third time by committee and public vote, reflecting the importance and popularity of the term. Doctorow’s theories have fueled criticism of the business models of large companies. The term has been helpful in understanding the negative impact of platforms’ policies among the general public. This concept has led to global reforms to make online platforms more transparent and user-friendly. “Enshittification” has become a powerful term that not only highlights the shortcomings of digital platforms but also forces thought to create a better and fairer digital world.
Examples
Airbnb
Airbnb, once considered an innovative alternative to the hotel industry, is now itself under fire. The platform, which in the past attracted customers through low prices and unique experiences, now often charges more than hotels. A major reason for this is the 45 percent or more service fee, which applies to both users and hosts. As a result, Airbnb is becoming expensive and substandard to use.
Amazon
According to Doctorow, Amazon initially attracted customers with the promise of low prices and free shipping (via Amazon Prime). Amazon started charging sellers an additional fee when a large number of users joined the platform. By 2023, Amazon was receiving more than 45 percent of the sales price in the form of various fees. Search results for users became de-standardized; More than half of the first five pages of searches like “cat beds” contained ads. Amazon’s Audible service, which controls 90 percent of the audiobook market, enforces mandatory digital rights management (DRM) on all audiobooks.
This means that if the user leaves the platform, they lose access to their purchased audiobooks. Doctorow decided in 2014 that they would no longer sell their audiobooks on Audible because DRM increased consumer dependency. Doctorow published their audiobooks independently so they could remain DRM-free, although this reduced revenue. Their effort emphasizes that the platforms model deprives consumers of more reliable and independent options.
According to Doctorow, Facebook initially provided a free and easy service to users, which made the platform popular. As Facebook reached “critical mass” in its user base, it began to change its model. Facebook encouraged media companies to add their posts to the feed, making media companies dependent on the platform. Facebook later adjusted the algorithm for “boosted posts” so that non-paid content was given less priority. This trend provides users with a feed that is mostly based on sponsored or “recommended” content, making it difficult for users to see the posts they actually want to see. Facebook exaggerated the number of video views, causing media companies to increase their investment. However, this investment resulted in bankruptcy of these companies. Doctorow called Facebook “terminally inactive.”
Google Search
Doctorow also cites Google Search as an example of incentivization: Initially, Google served users with fewer ads and higher-quality, relevant search results. Later, the number of ads increased, and search engine optimization and cheating tactics became dominant, reducing quality. The “Jedi Blue” deal was another aspect of rigging the ad market. Google plans to lay off 12,000 employees in 2023 as well as launch a stock buyback program. Also, Google researched an AI search chatbot, which Doctorow said doesn’t show the user what they’re looking for, but what Google thinks is relevant.
Netflix
In the early 2020s, Netflix dominated the streaming industry. But later, ad-based plans were introduced after gaining a quasi-monopoly position. In 2024, the cheapest ad-free plan was phased out in the UK and Canada. Password sharing was severely restricted, leading to additional costs for users.
In 2023, Reddit introduced a fee for accessing the API, which shut down many third-party apps. The move was taken against AI firms’ data scraping, but critics linked it to preparations for an IPO. The change resulted in the shutdown of a large number of third-party apps, such as Apollo, and forced users to use the official Reddit app. Moderators “blacked out” in protest, but the company continued to enforce its policy.
Reddit restricted moderators’ powers, which was interpreted as a response to the 2023 protests. Moderators can no longer take action to change subreddits from “public” to “private” without approval from Reddit staff.
Following Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter in 2022, significant changes were introduced to the platform, which were cited as examples of “insultification”: API access closure: Twitter limited interoperable software and users Banned posting of Mastodon handles on profiles. A temporary rate cap was introduced on tweets seen per day. Paid subscriptions called “Twitter Blue” were launched, and in April 2024 it was announced that new users would have to pay a fee to post. Hateful content, such as anti-Semitism and Islamophobia, became a concern for advertising companies during the Israel-Hamas war. The lack of advertising cost the company up to $75 million. In response to consumer backlash, Musk harshly criticized the abandonment of advertisers.
Uber
Uber, through its market strategy, bypassed local licensing laws and provided low-cost rides to customers. Travel costs were initially kept low through venture capital funding. When demand increased, trip prices were raised, encouraging drivers to take more rides. As competition decreased, consumer spending was increased and variable payments were made to drivers. Nevertheless, surge pricing increased the availability of drivers, reduced waiting times and maintained service efficiency.
Unity Game Engine
In 2023, Unity made changes to its licensing model, which was cited as a prime example of institutionalization, forcing developers to pay new fees for projects that were already in development. These actions affected the experience of both developers and users. Many developers announced to abandon the Unity engine. Unity usage on platforms such as Global Game Jam declined, falling from 61% in 2023 to 36% in 2024.
Dating apps
Dating apps have also been cited as an example of institutionalization, where the way the apps work conflicts with the financial interests of app operators to force users to pay indefinitely for their singles. Maintain status. Monetization efforts lead to a substandard experience for users. It is in the financial interests of the app operators not to provide the best matches to the users, so that they continue to use the app for a long time.
Apple App Store
Apple’s App Store also showed a trend towards insutification, with a 30% “Apple Tax” applied to app creators, which increased the price of apps and forced users to pay extra. Reduced updates: Some apps have started to drop quality or limit their services under this financial pressure. Apple’s own apps and services began to be preferred over independent creators.
Spotify
Spotify, known for its free and premium services, has suffered over time due to restrictions on the free account: limitations on song skipping, an abundance of ads, and reduced audio quality. The subscription price was increased from time to time, forcing users to pay more. Creators faced cut payments, while Spotify increased its margins.
PayPal
PayPal, initially known for its low fees and convenient services, has been subject to institutionalization over time as transaction fees and money withdrawal prices have increased.
Account Freezing: Cases of blocking user accounts for minor issues became common, affecting user confidence. Decreased quality of customer service and delayed resolution of issues.
Summary
Enshittification is a phenomenon that helps understand modern digital platforms and long-term strategies of businesses. It begins with the origin of user-friendly services, where companies provide free or low-cost services to attract customers. But as these platforms gain a dominant position in their market, their inclination is to increase profits, which in turn. Increase in fees, overload of advertisements, and decrease in quality of services. Users and partners face difficulties in finding alternatives as platforms consolidate their monopoly. Trust in the platform begins to erode for both users and creators, which drives users to new options.
The end result of Enshittification is that users and partners are forced to abandon a platform, while companies lose their credibility and long-term position. To avoid this phenomenon, companies can continuously improve their business by prioritizing customer experience, quality, and transparency.
Questions Enshittification
1. What are the disadvantages of Enshittification?
Deterioration of user experience, burden of high fees, lack of trust in the platform, and discouragement of creative communities are its main disadvantages.
2. What Factors Accelerate Enshittification Across Platforms?
The desire to increase profits, monopolization, and lack of competition are factors that accelerate industrialization.
3. How does Enshittification impact social media platforms?
These platforms are flooded with advertisements, making it difficult for users to access original content, and reducing the profits of content creators.
4. Do you think steps can be taken to prevent Enshittification?
Yes, this trend can be reduced through transparency, protection of consumer rights, and strict legislation on platforms.
5. Does Enshittification Affect Consumer Confidence?
Of course, this undermines the trust of users as they feel that the platform is only using them for financial gains.
6. Which platforms are most vulnerable to this process?
Social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter), streaming services (Netflix), e-commerce websites (Amazon), and applications (Uber, Reddit) are most affected.
7. What should consumers be aware of about Enshittification?
Users should understand how their data and preferences are being used and seek alternative platforms.
8. What is the relationship between Enshittification and consumer data privacy?
Platforms make illegal or unethical use of user data for higher profits, which is a key aspect of Enshittification.
9. Can governments legislate to curb this trend?
Yes, governments can mitigate the effects of Enshittification by enforcing data privacy laws, anti-monopoly regulations, and ensuring transparency of platforms.
10. How does Enshittification affect content creators?
Creators’ income decreases, the value of their work decreases, and their freedom is limited as their dependence on platforms increases.
