Enshitification: The Inevitable Rot of Digital Platforms

Every internet user senses it. The app that once felt clean and intuitive now feels cluttered and extractive. The search engine that once delivered precision now buries relevance beneath sponsored noise. The social network that once connected friends now amplifies outrage and advertising. The term that captures this decay is enshitification.
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Writer and technologist Cory Doctorow popularized the term in 2022 to describe the lifecycle of digital platforms. He did not coin a joke. He described a structural pattern.

The Definition

Enshitification refers to the predictable degradation of online platforms as they shift from prioritizing users to prioritizing business customers and ultimately shareholders. The decline follows a consistent three-stage progression.

In stage one, the platform aggressively serves users. It offers a clean design, generous features, low fees, and frictionless experience. Growth matters more than revenue. Network effects take root.

In stage two, the platform pivots toward advertisers, sellers, or third-party business clients. Algorithms shift. Organic reach declines. Sponsored placements rise. Fees increase. Data extraction deepens. The user experience begins to erode, but convenience still masks the change.

In stage three, the platform extracts maximum value for investors. It exploits lock-in effects and switching costs. Customer service deteriorates. Interfaces grow bloated. Search results skew toward paid placement over relevance. At this point, the platform feels adversarial rather than helpful.

Real World Examples

Consider social media feeds. Early versions displayed posts chronologically. Today, algorithmic ranking prioritizes engagement metrics that favor outrage and advertising inventory.

E-commerce marketplaces once emphasized transparent search and competitive pricing. Now sponsored listings crowd the top of results while fees squeeze sellers.

Ride-sharing platforms initially subsidized rides and driver pay to gain scale. Once dominance solidified, fares climbed while driver compensation tightened.

These outcomes do not reflect incompetence. They reflect incentives. Venture funding demands growth. Public markets demand quarterly returns. When growth slows, extraction replaces expansion.

Why the Term Matters

Enshitification reframes digital decline as systemic rather than nostalgic. Users do not imagine that platforms used to work better. Many did. Incentives shifted.

Understanding the term clarifies the stakes. Platform design does not decay randomly. It follows power consolidation and profit maximization. Until competitive pressure or regulation intervenes, the cycle repeats.