The Vergecast It's not your job to fix the internet
125 snips
Nov 18, 2025 
Cory Doctorow, a renowned author and technology activist, dives into the concept of 'enshittification,' explaining how platforms degrade user experience over time. He argues that fixing issues isn't about individual boycotts but rather requires systemic change through policy and organizing. The discussion touches on the need for regulatory reforms, local-first software solutions, and the influence of geopolitics on tech alternatives. Doctorow also highlights the potential for small apps to disrupt monopolies and enhance user data ownership.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Three-Stage Platform Decay
- Platforms follow a three-stage decay: attract users, favor business clients, then harvest everyone for profit.
- Cory Doctorow calls this process "enshittification" and shows how locked users enable progressive degradation.
Organize, Don't Just Shop
- Don't rely on individual consumer choices to fix monopolies; political organizing matters more.
- Devote energy to collective action and policy change rather than exclusively shopping alternatives.
Legalize Adversarial Interoperability
- Defend adversarial interoperability by changing DMCA and reverse-engineering rules so third-party tools can bridge platforms.
- Legalize safe reverse engineering to enable plugins that redirect commerce or social data away from monopolies.
