Stop Trying to Fix the Internet
▼ Summary
– Cory Doctorow coined the term “enshittification” to describe how large platforms like Google, Amazon, and Facebook shift from providing user value to extracting value from users.
– Doctorow’s book explains how once user-focused products decline and suggests regulatory and competitive solutions to reverse this trend.
– The book focuses on big-picture regulatory and technical changes rather than individual user actions like demanding better or boycotting platforms.
– Doctorow emphasizes that the current state of the internet is not the fault of individual users and that fixing it is not their responsibility, unless they can influence laws.
– He believes the “good internet” still exists and advocates for collective efforts to reclaim it through systemic changes.
There’s a growing sense that the internet isn’t what it used to be. Whether you’re searching on Google, shopping on Amazon, or scrolling through Facebook, these platforms increasingly seem less interested in delivering value and more focused on extracting as much as possible from users. This downward spiral has a name, enshittification, a term popularized by writer and activist Cory Doctorow. But was the digital world always this way, and can we restore its former promise?
In a recent episode of The Vergecast, Doctorow addresses these questions directly. He argues that no, the internet wasn’t always like this, and yes, we can reclaim it. His latest book, Enshittification: Why Everything Suddenly Got Worse and What to Do About It, breaks down how once user-friendly products decline over time and explores how regulators and market competition can help reverse the trend.
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Doctorow recently appeared on the Decoder podcast to outline the mechanics behind enshittification. In this discussion, the focus shifts to actionable solutions. His analysis centers on systemic reforms, regulatory interventions and technical shifts, rather than placing responsibility on individual users. You won’t find passages in his book urging people to “demand better,” accept inconvenience, support local businesses, or abandon major social networks.
So why avoid the call for personal change? Is there really nothing everyday users can do, even though we constantly “vote” with our attention and spending habits? Doctorow does offer answers and proposals, but he’s emphatic that the current state of the internet isn’t the fault of ordinary people, and fixing it isn’t their burden to carry. That is, unless you’re in a position to influence flawed legislation; then the responsibility falls squarely on you. According to Doctorow, a better internet still exists, and it’s up to all of us to fight to bring it back.
For those interested in diving deeper into the topics covered in this episode, the following resources provide a helpful starting point.
(Source: The Verge)
