Organized Money
The Enshitification of Big Tech: A Conversation with Cory Doctorow
Mar 13, 2025
Cory Doctorow, a renowned author and activist known for his advocacy against monopolies, discusses the alarming trend of 'enshitification' in Big Tech. He unpacks how the initial utopian dreams of Silicon Valley transformed into profit-driven power grabs by giants like Amazon and Google. The conversation delves into the erosion of internet culture, the shift in Google's priorities from user experience to maximizing ad revenue, and the effects of monopolization on creativity in publishing. Doctorow highlights the urgent need for interoperability and competition in tech.
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Quick takeaways
- The podcast highlights the ideological shift in Silicon Valley from promoting utopian ideals to embracing monopolistic practices that undermine user empowerment.
- Cory Doctorow's concept of 'enshitification' outlines how digital platforms decline in service quality as they prioritize profit, eventually harming both consumers and advertisers.
Deep dives
The Changing Political Landscape of Monopoly
The discussion highlights a significant shift in how political ideologies perceive the concept of monopoly, particularly focusing on figures like Steve Jobs and movements like Occupy Wall Street. When Jobs died in 2011, his legacy was honored even by those who opposed corporate monopolies, illustrating a complex relationship between innovators and critics. This irony showcases how Silicon Valley initially promoted a utopian vision of the internet as a liberating force. However, over time, this idealism has morphed into a reality where monopolistic practices contradict the initial freedoms that tech was supposed to champion.
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