Today in Focus ‘Enshittification’: how we got the internet no one asked for
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Nov 24, 2025 
Corey Doctorow, a renowned tech critic and activist, dives into the troubling concept of 'enshittification' of the internet, explaining how platforms like Amazon and Google have shifted from user-friendly to profit-driven models. He illustrates the three stages of this decline, emphasizing the negative impacts on local businesses and the search experience. Doctorow argues that individual choices aren't enough to combat these issues and stresses the importance of collective action and policy reforms to reclaim a more democratic internet.
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Live Instagram Scroll Test
- Nosheen Iqbal demonstrates the problem by live-scrolling Instagram and listing irrelevant posts and ads.
- The example shows the feed is now dominated by sponsored, algorithmic, and unrelated content.
How Platforms Lock Users In
- Inshittification describes how platforms first attract users by being good, then lock them in with switching costs.
- Cory Doctorow explains locking occurs via features like DRM and ecosystem products that raise exit costs.
Paid Placement Replaces Relevance
- Platforms then court business customers and sell placement, turning search into pay-to-play.
- Doctorow notes Amazon's search advertising became a huge paid-placement business, degrading relevance.
