Enshittification: Difference between revisions
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'''Platform decay''', commonly known as '''[[wikipedia:Enshittification|Enshittification]]''' or '''crapification''', is a practice in which companies (usually large ones) allow the quality of the products or services they provide to decline over time. | '''Platform decay''', commonly known as '''[[wikipedia:Enshittification|Enshittification]]''' or '''crapification''', is a practice in which companies (usually large ones) allow the quality of the products or services they provide to decline over time. | ||
The term was first coined by tech blogger [[wikipedia:Cory Doctorow|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 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260216121528/https://pluralistic.net/2022/11/28/enshittification/ |archive-date=16 Feb 2026}}</ref>, popularized by Arun Maini (Mrwhosetheboss)<ref>{{Cite web |last=Chapman |first=Tom |date=2024-10-30 |title=Popular tech YouTuber exposes why 'broken' Google Search is falling apart |url=https://www.uniladtech.com/news/tech-news/mrwhosetheboss-explains-google-search-broken-715030-20241030 |url-status=live |website=[[UNILAD Tech]]}}([http://web.archive.org/web/20251117215634/https://www.uniladtech.com/news/tech-news/mrwhosetheboss-explains-google-search-broken-715030-20241030 Archived])</ref><ref>The Internet is starting to Break - Here's Why. - | The term was first coined by tech blogger [[wikipedia:Cory Doctorow|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 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260216121528/https://pluralistic.net/2022/11/28/enshittification/ |archive-date=16 Feb 2026}}</ref>, popularized by Arun Maini (Mrwhosetheboss)<ref>{{Cite web |last=Chapman |first=Tom |date=2024-10-30 |title=Popular tech YouTuber exposes why 'broken' Google Search is falling apart |url=https://www.uniladtech.com/news/tech-news/mrwhosetheboss-explains-google-search-broken-715030-20241030 |url-status=live |website=[[UNILAD Tech]]}}([http://web.archive.org/web/20251117215634/https://www.uniladtech.com/news/tech-news/mrwhosetheboss-explains-google-search-broken-715030-20241030 Archived])</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=@Mrwhosetheboss |title=The Internet is starting to Break - Here's Why. |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVYG1mu8Lg8&pp=ygUuVGhlIEludGVybmV0IGlzIHN0YXJ0aW5nIHRvIEJyZWFrIC0gSGVyZSdzIFdoeQ%3D%3D |url-status=live |website=[[YouTube]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=@Mrwhosetheboss |date=2024-10-12 |title=Why Google Search is Falling Apart. |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSGVk2KVokQ |url-status=live |website=[[YouTube]]}}</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 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260222030743/https://www.merriam-webster.com/slang/enshittification |archive-date=22 Feb 2026}}</ref> | ||
==How it works== | ==How it works== | ||
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Once communities and user bases are stable, companies begin offering products and services to business customers, providing strong incentives. These partnerships and the new profit-making focus are eroding the user experience through tactics such as ads and sponsored content. | Once communities and user bases are stable, companies begin offering products and services to business customers, providing strong incentives. These partnerships and the new profit-making focus are eroding the user experience through tactics such as ads and sponsored content. | ||
A documented example of this phase is seen in the case of [[Reddit]] removing free access to its API near the time of its Initial public offering (IPO).<ref name="TheVergeAnnouncement">{{Cite web |last=Shakir |first=Umar |date=April 18, 2023 |title=Reddit's upcoming API changes will make AI companies pony up |url=https://www.theverge.com/2023/4/18/23688463/reddit-developer-api-terms-change-monetization-ai |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230614020642/https://www.theverge.com/2023/4/18/23688463/reddit-developer-api-terms-change-monetization-ai |archive-date=June 14, 2023 |access-date=June 17, 2023 | | A documented example of this phase is seen in the case of [[Reddit]] removing free access to its API near the time of its Initial public offering (IPO).<ref name="TheVergeAnnouncement">{{Cite web |last=Shakir |first=Umar |date=April 18, 2023 |title=Reddit's upcoming API changes will make AI companies pony up |url=https://www.theverge.com/2023/4/18/23688463/reddit-developer-api-terms-change-monetization-ai |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230614020642/https://www.theverge.com/2023/4/18/23688463/reddit-developer-api-terms-change-monetization-ai |archive-date=June 14, 2023 |access-date=June 17, 2023 |website=The Verge}}</ref> Then, in 2024, Reddit struck a $60 million deal with [[Google]] to grant access to its user-generated content for AI training data.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Tong |first=Anna |last2=Wang |first2=Echo |last3=Coulter |first3=Martin |last4=Tong |first4=Anna |last5=Wang |first5=Echo |date=2024-02-22 |title=Exclusive: Reddit in AI content licensing deal with Google |url=https://www.reuters.com/technology/reddit-ai-content-licensing-deal-with-google-sources-say-2024-02-22/ |access-date=2025-06-20 |work=Reuters |language=en |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260112221447/https://www.reuters.com/technology/reddit-ai-content-licensing-deal-with-google-sources-say-2024-02-22/ |archive-date=12 Jan 2026}}</ref> | ||
===3. Quality degradation for shareholders=== | ===3. Quality degradation for shareholders=== | ||
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===Switching barriers=== | ===Switching barriers=== | ||
Enshittified platforms that act as intermediaries can act as both a monopoly on services and a monopsony on customers, as high switching barriers prevent either from leaving even when better alternatives technically exist. These barriers can be intentionally put in place - such as restricting the user's ability to transfer data or communicate between platforms - or unintentional, such as a platform's userbase being so large that it naturally makes it near impossible for users or partners to find equivalent engagement on an alternative platform. | Enshittified platforms that act as intermediaries can act as both a monopoly on services and a [[wikipedia:Monopsony|monopsony]] on customers, as high switching barriers prevent either from leaving even when better alternatives technically exist. These barriers can be intentionally put in place - such as restricting the user's ability to transfer data or communicate between platforms - or unintentional, such as a platform's userbase being so large that it naturally makes it near impossible for users or partners to find equivalent engagement on an alternative platform. | ||
An example of this would be a long-time eBay seller hoping to leave the site for an alternative with lower fees (such as eBay's competitors, like Etsy or Mercari). They might first encounter issues migrating all of their listings over to the new platform, a process that could be tedious. Their feedback history will certainly not carry over to the new platform, so buyers are initially less likely to view them as trustworthy, potentially impacting sales. Lastly, the alternative platform likely has a vastly smaller user base than eBay, so, despite any potential benefits, the seller is less likely to be successful on the new platform than on eBay. | An example of this would be a long-time eBay seller hoping to leave the site for an alternative with lower fees (such as eBay's competitors, like Etsy or Mercari). They might first encounter issues migrating all of their listings over to the new platform, a process that could be tedious. Their feedback history will certainly not carry over to the new platform, so buyers are initially less likely to view them as trustworthy, potentially impacting sales. Lastly, the alternative platform likely has a vastly smaller user base than eBay, so, despite any potential benefits, the seller is less likely to be successful on the new platform than on eBay. | ||
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===Platform death=== | ===Platform death=== | ||
A potential end-scenario for enshittified platforms is death, usually caused by a large enough exodus of users and business partners, and a general loss of trust. A platform may not truly "die" per se, but it can completely lose the identity that made it successful in the first place | A potential end-scenario for enshittified platforms is death, usually caused by a large enough exodus of users and business partners, and a general loss of trust. A platform may not truly "die" ''per se'', but it can completely lose the identity that made it successful in the first place — and might not ever regain it. An ongoing example is [[X Corp|Twitter]] post Elon Musk's takeover. Under its new ownership and branding, the platform lost swathes of its user base and advertisers to alternative platforms (such as Bluesky after its policy shifts proved widely unpopular). | ||
However, the death of an enshittified platform is not a particularly positive outcome. It uproots a long-established | However, the death of an enshittified platform is not a particularly positive outcome. It uproots a long-established user base and can greatly disrupt their activities. There is also the chance that alternative platforms lack feature parity with the old platform or that they might not be able to support the massive influx of new users, at least for some time. At worst, data loss could be involved, meaning years' worth of information - if not archived beforehand - could potentially be lost if a platform shuts down in some capacity. | ||
==Common signs== | ==Common signs== | ||
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*[[Advertising overload]] to prioritize advertiser profits and encourage users to pay to disable (or limit) ad visibility. | *[[Advertising overload]] to prioritize advertiser profits and encourage users to pay to disable (or limit) ad visibility. | ||
*[[Pay-walling]] or limiting functions or features, usually ones that were free at first. This can also lead to [[monetization overload]]. In some cases, a function or feature might be completely removed. | *[[Pay-walling]] or limiting functions or features, usually ones that were free at first. This can also lead to [[monetization overload]]. In some cases, a function or feature might be completely removed. | ||
*Integration of [[ | *Integration of [[bloatware]]. | ||
*Price gouging or [[Value based pricing|surge pricing]]. | *Price gouging or [[Value based pricing|surge pricing]]. | ||
*In physical products, lower-quality or less durable materials are used to manufacture products to minimize costs. In some cases, this practice is alongside [[planned obsolescence]]. | *In physical products, lower-quality or less durable materials are used to manufacture products to minimize costs. In some cases, this practice is alongside [[planned obsolescence]]. | ||
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In Doctorow's original post, he discussed [[Amazon|Amazon's]] practices. The online retailer initially drew in users with products sold at a loss and free shipping. Once its user base was well established, more sellers began selling their products on Amazon. Finally, Amazon began to add fees to increase profits. In 2023, over 45% of the sale price of items went to Amazon through various fees. Amazon also allows sellers to push their listings higher in search results via its paid Sponsored Products program. Doctorow described advertisement within Amazon as a payola scheme in which sellers bid against one another for search-ranking preference, and said that the first five pages of a search for "cat beds" were half advertisements | In Doctorow's original post, he discussed [[Amazon|Amazon's]] practices. The online retailer initially drew in users with products sold at a loss and free shipping. Once its user base was well established, more sellers began selling their products on Amazon. Finally, Amazon began to add fees to increase profits. In 2023, over 45% of the sale price of items went to Amazon through various fees. Amazon also allows sellers to push their listings higher in search results via its paid Sponsored Products program. Doctorow described advertisement within Amazon as a payola scheme in which sellers bid against one another for search-ranking preference, and said that the first five pages of a search for "cat beds" were half advertisements | ||
eBay is another e-commerce site that followed a similar trajectory, initially offering low fees and a robust buyer and seller protection system. Once its | eBay is another e-commerce site that followed a similar trajectory, initially offering low fees and a robust buyer and seller protection system. Once its user base of largely secondhand buyers and sellers was solidified, eBay raised seller fees. It began incentivizing large-volume sellers — often actual businesses — with lower selling fees if they subscribed to an eBay Store. eBay sellers are also no longer able to leave negative feedback for buyers, greatly reducing sellers' ability to avoid bad actors. Since then, eBay has introduced promoted listings, which are effectively analogous to Amazon's paid sponsored listings. eBay has also encouraged sellers to use AI-generated descriptions that often misrepresent the condition of items being sold and has opted all of its users into in-house AI training [[Ebay AI opt in by default|by default]] as of its April 21, 2025, privacy policy revision. | ||
===Media streaming platforms=== | ===Media streaming platforms=== | ||
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==Further reading== | ==Further reading== | ||
*https://pluralistic.net/2024/01/30/go-nuts-meine-kerle/#ich-bin-ein-bratapfel | *https://pluralistic.net/2024/01/30/go-nuts-meine-kerle/#ich-bin-ein-bratapfel | ||
*https://www.darkpattern.games/ | *https://www.darkpattern.games/ | ||
==External links== | ==External links== | ||
*[https://youtu.be/T4Upf_B9RLQ "A Day in the Life of an Ensh*ttificator"], by [https://www.youtube.com/@Forbrukerr%C3%A5detNorge Forbrukerrådet - Norwegian Consumer Council], 2026 | *[https://youtu.be/T4Upf_B9RLQ "A Day in the Life of an Ensh*ttificator"], by [https://www.youtube.com/@Forbrukerr%C3%A5detNorge Forbrukerrådet - Norwegian Consumer Council], 2026 | ||
*[https://youtu.be/NBZv0_MImIY "Y'all mind if I complain for 15 minutes?"], by [[wikipedia:Jaiden_Animations|Jaiden Dittfach]], 2025. In this video, she talks about how things have "become less efficient" and "more stupid". | *[https://youtu.be/NBZv0_MImIY "Y'all mind if I complain for 15 minutes?"], by [[wikipedia:Jaiden_Animations|Jaiden Dittfach]], 2025. In this video, she talks about how things have "become less efficient" and "more stupid". | ||