Enshittification: Difference between revisions
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'''Enshittification''', also known as '''crapification''' and '''platform decay''', is a pattern in which two-sided online products, usually subscription services, decline in quality over time. Initially, companies create high-quality offerings to attract users and undercut competition, then they degrade those offerings to better serve business customers, and finally degrade their services to users and business customers to maximize profits for shareholders. | '''Enshittification''', also known as '''crapification''' and '''platform decay''', is a pattern in which two-sided online products, usually subscription services, decline in quality over time. Initially, companies create high-quality offerings to attract users and undercut competition, then they degrade those offerings to better serve business customers, and finally degrade their services to users and business customers to maximize profits for shareholders. | ||
The term was first coined by tech blogger Cory Doctorow in November 2022<ref>{{Cite web |last=Doctorow |first=Cory |date=28 Nov 2022 |title=Pluralistic: How monopoly enshittified Amazon/28 Nov 2022 |url=https://pluralistic.net/2022/11/28/enshittification/ |url-status=live |access-date=18 Aug 2025 |website=Pluralistic}}</ref> and has since gained widespread recognition.<ref>{{Cite web |title=enshittification |url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/slang/enshittification |url-status=live |access-date=18 Aug 2025 |website=Merriam-Webster}}</ref> | The term was first coined by tech blogger Cory Doctorow in November 2022<ref>{{Cite web |last=Doctorow |first=Cory |date=28 Nov 2022 |title=Pluralistic: How monopoly enshittified Amazon/28 Nov 2022 |url=https://pluralistic.net/2022/11/28/enshittification/ |url-status=live |access-date=18 Aug 2025 |website=Pluralistic}}</ref>, popularized by Arun Maini (Mrwhosetheboss)<ref>[https://www.uniladtech.com/news/tech-news/mrwhosetheboss-explains-google-search-broken-715030-20241030 Popular tech YouTuber exposes why 'broken' Google Search is falling apart]</ref><ref>The Internet is starting to Break - Here's Why. - Mrwhosetheboss</ref><ref>Why Google Search is Falling Apart. - Mrwhosetheboss</ref>, and has since gained widespread recognition.<ref>{{Cite web |title=enshittification |url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/slang/enshittification |url-status=live |access-date=18 Aug 2025 |website=Merriam-Webster}}</ref> | ||
==How it works== | ==How it works== | ||
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===Right of exit=== | ===Right of exit=== | ||
The right of exit, or Data portability, is the right of a user to leave a platform without losing the data stored on it, and instead being able to export it and access it in various applications of the user's liking.<ref>{{Cite web |title=DataPortability Project |url=http://www.dataportability.org/ |url-status=unfit |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090723171111/http://www.dataportability.org/ |archive-date=23 Jul 2009 |access-date=18 Aug 2025 |website=DataPortability}}</ref> | The right of exit, or Data portability, is the right of a user to leave a platform without losing the data stored on it, and instead being able to export it and access it in various applications of the user's liking.<ref>{{Cite web |title=DataPortability Project |url=http://www.dataportability.org/ |url-status=unfit |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090723171111/http://www.dataportability.org/ |archive-date=23 Jul 2009 |access-date=18 Aug 2025 |website=DataPortability}}</ref> | ||
==Examples== | ==Examples== | ||
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===Social media=== | ===Social media=== | ||
Facebook... | '''[[Facebook]]''' | ||
[[Facebook]] has shifted from a network for personal connection to a platform dominated by advertising and algorithmic manipulation. User data is monetised at the expense of privacy, while the quality of organic content has steadily declined. | |||
'''[[Instagram]]''' | |||
Once centred on creativity and social sharing, Instagram now prioritises sponsored posts, shopping features, and influencer marketing. Users’ ability to control their feeds has been reduced, reflecting the platform’s focus on profit over consumer experience. | |||
'''[[Reddit]]''' | |||
[[Reddit]]’s 2023 API changes exemplify enshitification, undermining community tools and third-party apps in favour of advertising revenue. This has eroded user autonomy and restricted consumer choice. | |||
'''Twitter/X''' | |||
Following its acquisition and rebrand, Twitter/X introduced paywalls for basic features, weakened moderation, and increased promoted content. The result has been a degraded service and a diminished consumer experience. | |||
'''[[TikTok]]''' | |||
[[TikTok]]’s powerful recommendation algorithm drives engagement but also funnels users into repetitive content while saturating feeds with advertising. Concerns over data exploitation further highlight the imbalance between corporate gain and consumer rights. | |||
'''YouTube''' | |||
YouTube. | YouTube has expanded ad loads and aggressively promoted subscriptions, while algorithmic changes often disadvantage independent creators. Consumers face reduced choice and increased intrusion, hallmarks of enshitification. | ||
===Software=== | ===Software=== | ||