Offline with Jon Favreau 218: The Enshittification of the Internet (with Cory Doctorow)
48 snips
Jan 17, 2026 
In this discussion with Cory Doctorow, a journalist and author passionate about digital rights, listeners dive into his concept of 'enshittification.' He explains how tech giants like Facebook and Amazon attract users, then exploit them for profit. Doctorow assesses policies that led to reduced competition and harmful practices, including the monopolistic behaviors on social platforms. He emphasizes the urgent need for better regulation to protect users and discusses the future of AI in maintaining a fair digital landscape.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Three-Stage Pattern Of Platform Decline
- Inshittification follows a three-step pattern: platforms are good to users, lock them in, then prioritize business customers and shareholders.
- Once both users and businesses are locked, platforms extract maximum rent and degrade the experience.
How Facebook Locked Its Users In
- Cory Doctorow recounts Facebook's 2006 expansion from college-only to the public as the moment users locked themselves in.
- That collective-action lock made leaving impractical for social, business, and community reasons.
Monopsony Power Explains Supplier Harm
- Platforms turn screws on advertisers and publishers once users are trapped, becoming monopsonists with outsized buyer power.
- This monopoly-over-buyers lets platforms extract value from suppliers while degrading service for everyone.
