Intelligence Squared Why Does It Feel Like Everything is Getting Worse? With Cory Doctorow
47 snips
Oct 17, 2025 
Cory Doctorow, a renowned author and tech policy advocate, dives into the concept of 'enshittification'—how digital platforms decay from user-friendly to frustrating. He explains that this decline is intentional and motivated by profit. Doctorow outlines a three-stage model of platform deterioration and emphasizes the role of monopolies in this process. He advocates for competitive practices, privacy reforms, and the repeal of restrictive laws to foster a healthier digital ecosystem. It’s a call to action for reclaiming our online spaces.
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Platforms Get Worse As They Grow
- Many major digital platforms became worse as they grew larger and harder to avoid.
- Cory Doctorow links this trend to policy choices, not inevitable technological forces.
The Three-Stage Enshittification Template
- Doctorow outlines a three-stage template: delight users, lock them in, then extract value from other stakeholders.
- This produces brittle equilibria filled with low-quality content and ads once firms prioritise buyers over users.
Facebook's Early Privacy Promise
- Mark Zuckerberg initially pitched Facebook as a privacy-respecting alternative to MySpace.
- Users were promised only to see content they asked for, which later changed as the business model shifted.
