We Didn’t Ask for This Internet - The Ezra Klein Show Recap

Podcast: The Ezra Klein Show

Published: 2026-02-06

Duration: 1 hr 27 min

Guests: Corey Doctorow, Tim Wu

Summary

Cory Doctorow and Tim Wu discuss how tech platforms have evolved into manipulative, extractive entities, degrading user experiences for profit. They propose policies to reclaim the internet's potential for positive impact.

What Happened

Cory Doctorow and Tim Wu, former schoolmates turned internet critics, explore the internet's transformation from a promising platform to a manipulative tool. Doctorow introduces 'inshidification,' where platforms initially serve users well to lock them in, then degrade the experience for profit. Tim Wu discusses 'extraction,' where entities with market power take wealth far in excess of the value of goods provided, impacting the economy and user trust.

Doctorow highlights Facebook's trajectory as a prime example of inshidification, initially offering privacy and user control, but later prioritizing advertisers over users. This shift is evident in the FTC vs Meta case, where only 7% of Instagram time is spent on content from followed users, highlighting a move to algorithm-driven feeds.

The episode also delves into the legal constraints stifling competition and innovation, such as the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, which prevents app modifications. Ad blockers and privacy tools face similar restrictions, consolidating power among large firms and limiting user choice.

Privacy issues are a recurring theme, with Andrea Downing's experience in a Facebook group illustrating how user privacy is often dismissed by platforms as a feature rather than a flaw. This lack of privacy protection is compounded by the absence of new federal consumer privacy laws since 1988.

The conversation shifts to economic implications, like Amazon's marketplace fees, which have risen from 15-20% to over 50%, squeezing small businesses. Algorithmic pricing and wage discrimination further exacerbate economic disparities, reflecting platforms' focus on maximizing extraction from users and workers.

Doctorow and Wu propose several policy solutions, including eliminating anti-circumvention laws, creating federal privacy rights, and mandating social media interoperability. Wu advocates for treating tech platforms like utilities and banning toxic business models, aiming to restore healthy competition and user trust.

Key Insights

• Inshidification describes the process where internet platforms initially prioritize user experience to build loyalty, then degrade it for profit, as seen with Facebook's shift from user privacy to advertiser interests.
• Only 7% of Instagram users' time is spent on content from accounts they follow, indicating a shift towards algorithm-driven feeds that prioritize engagement over user preference.
• Amazon's marketplace fees have increased from 15-20% to over 50%, significantly impacting small businesses by reducing their profit margins and increasing the cost of using the platform.
• The Digital Millennium Copyright Act restricts app modifications and the use of ad blockers, consolidating power among large tech firms and limiting competition and user choice.