Enshittification
Cory Doctorow’s term for the deterioration of a platform as its operators shift benefits away from users and partners toward extracting more value for themselves.
Context
Doctorow describes a progression in which a platform attracts users, then favors business customers or suppliers, and ultimately captures more of the value for its owners.
The term is often applied to changes in advertising, visibility, fees, or access that make a once-useful service worse for the people depending on it.
Examples
- A service first helps people find relevant posts, then fills the same space with paid placements and increasingly costly access.