Media Confidential Cory Doctorow: How the internet went to sh*t
Dec 22, 2025
Cory Doctorow, a journalist and tech activist known for his focus on digital rights, dives into the concept of 'enshittification'—how digital platforms decay into exploitative services. He discusses the shift from the open internet to profit-driven, user-hostile platforms, and how AI contributes to this decay. Cory emphasizes the importance of interoperability and individual actions to combat these issues. He also highlights recent political shifts that could inspire hope for reform in the tech landscape.
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Enshittification Is Policy-Driven
- "Enshittification" describes how platforms degrade when policy lets them profit from mistreating users.
- Cory Doctorow argues this decay results from deliberate policy choices, not inevitability.
From DIY Net To Greased Slides
- The early internet had technical self-determination because users could change systems themselves.
- Web 2.0 lowered entry costs but trapped users in closed platforms they couldn't easily leave.
Communities Trapped When Platforms Decay
- Doctorow recounts LiveJournal and MySpace communities being displaced when ownership changed and platforms decayed.
- He describes breast-cancer previvor groups trapped on Facebook because their support networks stayed despite hating the platform.