The Ensh*ttification of Everything
5Digest
This episode of On the Media delves into the phenomenon of "in-bleepification," a term coined by Cory Doctorow to describe the death cycle of internet platforms. Doctorow explains how platforms like Amazon and Facebook initially attract users with generous offers and low prices, but eventually shift their focus to maximizing profits at the expense of user experience. This process involves three distinct steps: first, the platform lures users in with a good deal but subtly locks them in with features that make it difficult to leave. Second, the platform starts to prioritize its business partners, offering them preferential treatment and squeezing users for more profit. Finally, the platform squeezes both users and business partners to further enrich itself, often through advertising and payola. The episode explores the reasons behind this trend, including the lack of competition, the rapid pace of technological change, and the difficulty of leaving a platform once you've built a community there. Doctorow argues that the best way to combat this trend is through antitrust legislation, interoperability, and the right to exit. He also discusses the importance of context-based advertising and the need for stronger enforcement of existing privacy laws. The episode concludes with a hopeful note, highlighting the potential of podcasting to resist in-bleepification due to its decentralized nature and the abundance of free content available.
Outlines
Introduction
This Chapter introduces the topic of the podcast, which is the phenomenon of "in-bleepification" and how it affects internet platforms. It also introduces the guest, Cory Doctorow, who is a journalist, activist, and author.
In-Bleepification: The Death Cycle of Platforms
This Chapter delves into the three steps of in-bleepification, explaining how platforms initially attract users with generous offers but eventually shift their focus to maximizing profits at the expense of user experience. It uses examples like Amazon and Facebook to illustrate this process.
Solutions and Challenges
This Chapter explores potential solutions to the problem of in-bleepification, including antitrust legislation, interoperability, and the right to exit. It also discusses the challenges of implementing these solutions, such as the influence of tech lobbyists and the difficulty of regulating a rapidly evolving technology.
Podcasting: A Potential Exception?
This Chapter examines whether podcasting is immune to in-bleepification. It argues that the decentralized nature of podcasting and the abundance of free content make it more resistant to the kind of platform control that leads to in-bleepification.
Keywords
In-bleepification
A term coined by Cory Doctorow to describe the death cycle of internet platforms, where companies initially offer users a good deal but eventually squeeze them for profit, ultimately leading to a decline in user experience.
Internet Platforms
Online services that provide a platform for users to interact with each other, share content, or conduct business. Examples include social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter, e-commerce platforms like Amazon, and streaming services like Spotify.
Antitrust Legislation
Laws designed to prevent monopolies and promote competition in the marketplace. Antitrust legislation can be used to break up large companies, prevent mergers and acquisitions, and regulate the behavior of dominant firms.
Interoperability
The ability of different systems or devices to work together seamlessly. In the context of internet platforms, interoperability refers to the ability of users to move their data and content between different platforms without losing functionality.
Right to Exit
The right of users to leave a platform or service without losing access to their data or content. This right is essential for ensuring that users are not locked into a platform by their data or by the fear of losing their community.
Context-Based Advertising
A type of advertising that targets users based on the content they are consuming, rather than their personal data. Context-based ads are considered less intrusive and more privacy-friendly than behavioral ads.
Podcasting
A method of distributing audio content over the internet. Podcasts are typically downloaded and listened to offline, making them more resistant to platform control than other forms of online content.
Digital Markets Act
A set of regulations proposed by the European Union to address the dominance of large tech companies. The Digital Markets Act aims to promote competition, protect user privacy, and ensure interoperability between platforms.
Federal Trade Commission
A U.S. government agency responsible for enforcing antitrust laws and protecting consumers from unfair business practices. The FTC has been increasingly active in investigating and challenging the dominance of large tech companies.
Department of Justice
A U.S. government agency responsible for enforcing federal laws, including antitrust laws. The Department of Justice has also been increasingly active in investigating and challenging the dominance of large tech companies.
Q&A
What is "in-bleepification" and how does it affect internet platforms?
In-bleepification is a term coined by Cory Doctorow to describe the death cycle of internet platforms, where companies initially offer users a good deal but eventually squeeze them for profit, ultimately leading to a decline in user experience. This process involves three distinct steps: first, the platform lures users in with a good deal but subtly locks them in with features that make it difficult to leave. Second, the platform starts to prioritize its business partners, offering them preferential treatment and squeezing users for more profit. Finally, the platform squeezes both users and business partners to further enrich itself, often through advertising and payola.
What are some potential solutions to the problem of in-bleepification?
Potential solutions to the problem of in-bleepification include antitrust legislation, interoperability, and the right to exit. Antitrust legislation can be used to break up large companies, prevent mergers and acquisitions, and regulate the behavior of dominant firms. Interoperability allows users to move their data and content between different platforms without losing functionality. The right to exit ensures that users are not locked into a platform by their data or by the fear of losing their community.
Is podcasting immune to in-bleepification?
Podcasting is more resistant to in-bleepification than other forms of online content due to its decentralized nature and the abundance of free content available. However, platforms like Apple, Spotify, and YouTube are trying to centralize podcasting by offering exclusive deals to popular creators and locking them into their platforms.
What is the role of government regulation in addressing the problems of in-bleepification?
Government regulation is crucial for addressing the problems of in-bleepification. Antitrust legislation can be used to prevent monopolies and promote competition. Privacy laws can be used to protect user data and prevent platforms from exploiting it for profit. Interoperability regulations can ensure that users can move their data and content between different platforms without losing functionality.
What is the future of internet platforms in light of in-bleepification?
The future of internet platforms is uncertain. In-bleepification is a powerful force that is driving many platforms towards a decline in user experience. However, there is also hope that government regulation, technological innovation, and user activism can help to reverse this trend and create a more equitable and user-friendly online environment.
Show Notes
Why does every social media platform seem to get worse over time? This week’s On the Media explores an expansive theory on how we lost a better version of the internet, and the systems that insulate Big Digital from competition. Plus, some solutions for fixing the world wide web.
[01:00 ] Host Brooke Gladstone interviews Cory Doctorow, journalist, activist, and the author of Red Team Blues, on his theory surrounding the slow, steady descent of the internet.
[15:59 ] Brooke asks Cory if the troubles that plague some corners of the internet are specific to Big Digital, rather than the economy at large—and how our legal systems enabled it all. Doctorow explains how the antitrust practices of the early 1900s went awry, and what exactly he means by “twiddling.”
[31:29 ] Cory and Brooke discuss possible solutions to save the world wide web. Among them: better enforcement of privacy laws, interoperability, and the ever elusive "right-to-exit." Plus, hear about the one industry that so far has been mostly immune to the forces of "enshittification."
This episode originally aired on our September 1, 2023 program, How Big Tech Went to Sh*t.
Further reading:
- “The ‘Enshittification’ of TikTok” by Cory Doctorow
“Too big to care,” by Cory Doctorow
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