Podcast Summary: “Ensh*ttification, Live! Micah and Cory Doctorow in Conversation”
Podcast Information:
- Title: On the Media
- Host: WNYC Studios
- Episode: Ensh*ttification, Live! Micah and Cory Doctorow in Conversation
- Release Date: June 4, 2025
- Hosts: Brooke Gladstone and Micah Loewinger
- Guest: Cory Doctorow, Author and Activist with the Electronic Frontier Foundation
Introduction
In the June 4, 2025 episode of the Peabody Award-winning podcast On the Media, host Micah Olinger engages in a live conversation with renowned tech activist and writer Cory Doctorow. Recorded at the Cascade PBS Ideas Festival in Seattle, the discussion centers around Doctorow's theory of "Ensh*ttification"—a critical examination of how internet platforms have progressively degraded in quality and user-friendliness. The conversation delves into the tactics employed by major tech companies to exploit users and workers while evading accountability through lawsuits and weakened regulatory frameworks.
Defining Ensh*ttification
Cory Doctorow introduces "Enshttification" as an extension of the concept that if you're not paying for a product, you are the product. Unlike the traditional view that only encompasses end-users, Enshttification also targets business users on two-sided platforms.
“The thesis of inshidification is whether or not you're paying for the product or the product that two-sided platforms go after not just the end users or customers, but also the business users.”
— Cory Doctorow [02:03]
Doctorow explains that platforms like Amazon initially offered significant value to both consumers and sellers, creating a locked-in ecosystem through services like Amazon Prime and digital media purchases protected by Digital Rights Management (DRM). Over time, however, the benefits to both parties have diminished, leading to a deterioration in the platform's overall quality and fairness.
Case Study: Amazon’s Journey through Ensh*ttification
Doctorow uses Amazon as a primary example to illustrate Enshttification*. In Amazon's early days, the platform provided substantial advantages:
- Affordable Pricing: Amazon was selling goods at a loss, leveraging investor capital to offer lower prices.
- Prime Membership: Locked consumers into an annual fee, making it economically unfeasible to shop elsewhere.
- Digital Rights Management: Ensured that purchases were tied exclusively to Amazon’s ecosystem, preventing users from migrating to other platforms.
As Enshttification* progressed, Amazon began prioritizing platform and investor profits over user and seller satisfaction.
“Over time, what we saw was that the deal for both business customers and the end users decayed.”
— Cory Doctorow [03:31]
Advertising Practices and Seller Exploitation
Amazon's shift towards revenue maximization involved changes detrimental to both users and sellers:
-
Advertising Dominance: Amazon sold ad placements on search result pages, prioritizing advertisers who paid the most over relevance.
“The first result when you search on Amazon is not the best match for your query. It's the one whose backer paid the most money to be there.”
— Cory Doctorow [04:06] -
Increased Fees for Sellers: Implementation of various fees reduced the profit margins of third-party sellers, leading to price hikes across the board.
“45 to 51 cents out of every dollar that was being brought in on the platform by third-party sellers was going straight to Amazon. So that was the Amazon tax.”
— Cory Doctorow [05:22]
These practices not only squeezed sellers but also resulted in higher prices for consumers, effectively "Inshitifying" the entire economic ecosystem surrounding Amazon.
Antitrust Actions and Market Domination
Doctorow discusses legal actions against Amazon, highlighting how the company’s monopolistic practices have attracted antitrust scrutiny.
“Antitrust law was built around this idea that if you don't publicly regulate markets, then you will have private regulations of markets.”
— Cory Doctorow [06:41]
Using the example of diapers.com, Doctorow illustrates how Amazon systematically eliminates competition not by outcompeting them fairly but by financially overpowering and acquiring smaller businesses, thereby consolidating its dominance.
Case Study: Google's Decline through Ensh*ttification
Turning to Google, Doctorow explains how Enshttification* has impacted search quality and user experience.
Internal Conflicts and Revenue Prioritization
Google's internal memos revealed a conflict between maintaining high-quality search results and maximizing ad revenue. The appointment of Prabhakar Raghavan, a revenue-focused executive, led to strategic decisions that compromised search accuracy for increased ad placements.
“They continued their growth story. Wall Street continued to reward them with a very high price to earnings ratio.”
— Cory Doctorow [14:43]
As a result, search results became cluttered with ads indistinguishable from organic results, reducing the overall effectiveness and user trust in Google’s search functionality.
Consequences for Users and Competitors
The degradation of search quality not only frustrates users but also negates the potential for competitors to gain traction, as Google's overwhelming market share dissuades the adoption of new search platforms.
“Google is bad these days.”
— Cory Doctorow [15:35]
Broader Implications: Algorithmic Wage Discrimination
Doctorow extends the discussion to other industries affected by Enshttification*, specifically labor markets controlled by algorithmic systems.
Uber and the Nursing Industry
Using Uber as an example, Doctorow explains how algorithmic wage discrimination is implemented to the detriment of workers:
“Uber has this labor pricing thing called algorithmic wage discrimination.”
— Cory Doctorow [15:43]
This phenomenon has spilled over into other sectors, such as nursing, where apps replace traditional staffing agencies. These platforms use factors like credit history to offer lower wages to those in financial distress, exacerbating economic inequalities and worker exploitation.
Antitrust Revival: A Global Response
Amidst the rise of Enshttification*, there has been a global resurgence in antitrust and competition law enforcement aiming to curb the power of Big Tech companies.
Global Enforcement Efforts
Doctorow highlights the significant shift in antitrust attitudes worldwide, with countries enhancing the powers of their competition regulators:
“We have seen this incredible revival of antitrust, and it's happened in the U.S. in Canada, we have a competition bureau that ... in China, there have been these massive surges of antitrust enforcement, lawmaking, new policy making, new investigations.”
— Cory Doctorow [19:11]
This renewed focus aims to dismantle monopolistic practices and promote fair competition, challenging the deep entrenchment of companies like Amazon and Google.
Impact of Leadership Changes
Despite political challenges, such as actions taken by former President Trump against antitrust agencies, the momentum for enforcing competition laws remains robust.
“The energy is still there.”
— Cory Doctorow [20:33]
Digital Rights and Countering Ensh*ttification
A significant part of the conversation addresses the role of digital rights in combating Enshttification*, particularly through legislative measures like the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA).
DMCA Section 1201 and Its Global Influence
Doctorow criticizes DMCA Section 1201 for criminalizing the removal of digital locks, which restricts users from modifying or enhancing their digital products.
“If there's a digital lock that stops you from moving your Kindle book to a Kobo, even if you are legally allowed to... removing the lock becomes a crime.”
— Cory Doctorow [23:09]
Proposed Solutions: Leveraging Tariffs and International Policies
Doctorow proposes using international trade strategies, such as tariffs, to pressure countries into adopting laws that protect digital rights and enable competition.
“The first government that does it is going to start a stampede because there's going to be a lot of people all over the world who will benefit from the jailbreaking tools.”
— Cory Doctorow [27:50]
By undermining the leverage that U.S. companies have globally, this approach aims to foster the development of alternative platforms and tools that prioritize user autonomy and privacy.
Example: The OG App for Instagram
Doctorow cites the rapid popularity of the OG app—a jailbreak for Instagram—as an illustration of the demand for alternative, privacy-focused applications.
“None of your interactions with the service were transmitted to Facebook unless you liked or commented on something.”
— Cory Doctorow [30:18]
The prompt removal of such applications by platform owners underscores the need for legal reforms to protect user-generated innovations.
The Power of Naming: Ensh*ttification’s Impact
Doctorow discusses how coining the term "Ensh*ttification" has raised awareness and facilitated more nuanced discussions about the deterioration of tech platforms.
“Putting a name to this phenomenon has... turned this very nuanced critique into something that a lot more people have their heads around.”
— Cory Doctorow [34:01]
This linguistic framing has influenced industry leaders and the broader public, fostering a critical perspective on the evolving practices of major tech companies.
Conclusion: Activism and Policy as Remedies
In concluding the conversation, Doctorow emphasizes the importance of proactive measures and continued advocacy to counteract Enshttification*. He argues that meaningful legislative and societal actions are essential to restore fairness and quality in digital platforms.
“The world gets better when we act.”
— Cory Doctorow [36:50]
Doctorow calls for sustained efforts in activism, legal reform, and consumer awareness to reclaim the integrity of digital ecosystems from monopolistic and exploitative practices.
Final Thoughts
The episode "Ensh*ttification, Live! Micah and Cory Doctorow in Conversation" provides a comprehensive exploration of the systematic degradation of major tech platforms through Cory Doctorow’s critical lens. Highlighting real-world examples and proposing actionable solutions, the discussion underscores the urgent need for regulatory interventions and global cooperation to preserve free speech, government transparency, and user autonomy in the digital age.