1280: Cory Doctorow | Why Everything Got Worse and What to Do About It - The Jordan Harbinger Show Recap

Podcast: The Jordan Harbinger Show

Published: 2026-02-03

Duration: 1 hr 29 min

Guests: Cory Doctorow

Summary

Cory Doctorow discusses 'enshittification,' the process by which internet platforms become exploitative, and offers strategies to resist this decline.

What Happened

Cory Doctorow introduces the concept of 'enshittification' to describe how internet platforms, initially beneficial to users, gradually become exploitative as they prioritize advertisers and their own profits over user experience. Facebook, Amazon, and Google are prime examples, having evolved from user-friendly services to monopolistic giants due to policy failures and strategic acquisitions that stifle competition.

Doctorow highlights the issue of 'switching costs' where companies create barriers to prevent users from leaving their platforms. These barriers are not an inevitability but a result of deliberate policy choices, as seen with regulations like phone number portability which can reduce friction and promote competition.

The episode delves into the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, which criminalizes the repair of one's own devices. This act is criticized for protecting corporate interests over consumer rights, as seen in cases like a Polish train company sabotaging its own products to extract more money from customers.

Doctorow explains 'algorithmic wage discrimination' as a tactic used by companies like Uber, where workers are paid based on their perceived desperation. This practice traps workers in a cycle of low wages, exploiting their need for work.

Doctorow suggests that supporting interoperability and making strategic consumer choices can combat 'enshittification.' He recommends using alternative services, supporting advocacy groups like the Electronic Frontier Foundation, and demanding ownership rights over purchased digital products.

The episode also critiques Amazon's business practices, describing them as parasitic. Amazon's logistics network, while impressive, comes at a high human cost, and its Prime service employs predatory pricing strategies that harm competitors and consumers alike.

Additionally, Doctorow touches on the massive consumer boycott represented by the widespread use of ad blockers. Over half of all web users have installed ad blockers, highlighting consumer pushback against invasive advertising practices.

Key Insights

• Internet platforms often undergo 'enshittification,' a process where they shift from user-friendly services to exploitative systems prioritizing profits and advertisers over user experience. Facebook, Amazon, and Google are notable examples of this trend.
• Switching costs are deliberately created barriers by companies to prevent users from leaving their platforms. These costs are not inevitable and can be mitigated by regulations like phone number portability, which encourages competition.
• The Digital Millennium Copyright Act criminalizes the repair of one's own devices, prioritizing corporate interests over consumer rights. This is exemplified by cases like a Polish train company sabotaging its own products to extract more money from customers.
• Over 50% of web users have installed ad blockers, representing a massive consumer boycott against invasive advertising practices. This widespread use of ad blockers highlights significant consumer pushback against current online advertising models.