The problem(s) with platforms
Author and blogger Cory Doctorow joins us to discuss how the enshittification of tech platforms impacts our democracy — and what we can do to change things for the better.
Episode 280 of the Democracy Works podcast, hosted by Penn State McCourtney Institute for Democracy, titled "The problem(s) with platforms" was published on March 24, 2025 and runs 46 minutes.
March 24, 2025 ·46m · Democracy Works
Summary
Author and blogger Cory Doctorow joins us to discuss how the enshittification of tech platforms impacts our democracy — and what we can do to change things for the better.
Episode Description
Cory Doctorow coined the term "enshittification" to describe how tech platforms have eroded over time. According to him, the process goes something like this:
First, they are good to their users; then they abuse their users to make things better for their business customers; finally, they abuse those business customers to claw back all the value for themselves. Then, they die.
Doctorow joins us in a collaborative interview with News Over Noise to discuss how enshittifiation has affected our ability to find information, engage in deliberative democracy, and more. We also discuss what coalitions are necessary to push back against enshittification and how science fiction can help us imagine a more democratic world.
Doctorow is a science fiction author, activist and journalist. He is the author of many books, including The Lost Cause, a science fiction novel of hope amidst the climate emergency, and The Internet Con: How to Seize the Means of Production.
Doctorow's lecture on enshittification
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Similar Episodes
Dec 31, 2021 ·39m
Jul 28, 2019 ·45m
Apr 22, 2019 ·18m
Mar 26, 2019 ·13m