Enshittification: Difference between revisions

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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.

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 |~~work~~=[[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>

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===

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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

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 ~~userbase~~ 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.

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===

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==Further reading==

*https://pluralistic.net/2024/01/30/go-nuts-meine-kerle/#ich-bin-ein-bratapfel

*https://www.darkpattern.games/

==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/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".

@@ Line 19: / Line 19: @@
 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 |work=[[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>
+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===
@@ Line 63: / Line 63: @@
 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 userbase 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.
+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===
@@ Line 150: / Line 150: @@
 ==Further reading==
 *https://pluralistic.net/2024/01/30/go-nuts-meine-kerle/#ich-bin-ein-bratapfel
 *https://www.darkpattern.games/
 ==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/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".