The Digital Press

The article explores the concept of "enshittification," a term coined to describe how digital platforms like Google, Facebook, and Amazon start out user-friendly but gradually degrade their services to maximize profits, trapping both users and businesses. This decline is enabled by market consolidation, legal protections, and the platforms' ability to manipulate experiences individually.

Why it matters: Enshittification reveals how dominant platforms exploit users and businesses, eroding trust and quality while locking everyone in.

The big picture: This trend stems from weakened antitrust enforcement and legal frameworks that allow platforms to "twiddle" user experience unchecked.

Structural fixes: Solutions involve antitrust action, enforceable regulations, interoperability rights, and bolstering worker power to break platform monopolies.

Commenters say: Many resonate with the frustration over declining service quality and call for stronger regulation, while some debate the feasibility of reversing entrenched platform power.