Enshittification

Syllabus- Polity and Governance [GS Paper-2]

04/11/2025

138 3 minutes read

Image Credit: AP

Context

Enshittification is a well-known term that is continuously being applied to the way your digital experiences, services, and transactions have been getting poorer.

Enshittification

The term “enshittification” was coined by the Canada-born writer and activist Cory Doctorow in 2022.
It describes the structural reduction of digital platforms in terms of quality and fairness as a result of profit maximising behaviour by technology companies.
It occurs when platforms:
- - Begin with the focus on users in order to find a significant base.
  - Restaurant Separate business customers (advertisers, sellers, partners) to maximize revenue.
  - Lastly take advantage of users and business customers to get most out of them- resulting in either crumbling or failure.

Use of Enshittification by Platforms

Facebook owned by meta: Initially it was supposed to be used to keep the user in touch and now they are becoming prisoners in addition to the advertisers and publishers.
Instagram frequently floods the feed of the user with advertisements and suggested content against their wish.
YouTube has ruined its free content by forcing users to watch numerous unskippable advertisements in order to move on to its ad-free YouTube Premium service.
X (which was once twitter) in which verified high profile individuals could engage with people.
- - At this point, everybody could purchase free blue tick verification which has a serious effect on Authentic communication.
With Google browser, new Generative AI-based overviews show AI-generated summaries of various sources in the first place, which puts users at a higher risk of making mistakes.

Concerns

Data monopoly: Data has been manipulated to the advantage of platforms and not users.
Manipulation of competition: Stronger platforms crowd-out smaller players by promoting their own offerings.
Loss of trust: The digital services are also perceived as not authentic and neutral by the users since the algorithms control what the users see and therefore they cannot choose or act as an agency.
Digital divide widens: Quality information and ad-free experience is a privilege.
Privacy and Data Exploitation: It has been exploiting people by collecting too much data and tracking it in order to maximise advert earnings.
Manipulation: Results and suggestions will be skewed towards the needs of the platform.
Digital Fatigue: Flashing ads, algorithm control, and lack of authenticity all leave a person frustrated. Users lose interest or have a digital burnout.
Long-term Platform Unsteadiness: It is when platforms corrupt their users and businesses that platforms get disbelieved and fail – a process of digital decay.

Government Initiatives

Digital Competition Bill (Draft, 2024): It targets competitive unfairness by the Big Tech companies and focuses on blocking self-preferencing, misuse of data, and gatekeeping by the large digital platforms.
Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023: It implies the rights to protect data of users with regard to data processing and fines against misuse.
Competition (Amendment) Act, 2023: It builds up the authority of Competition Commission of India (CCI).
Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021: Requires the redressal of grievances, traceability, and transparency in the content moderation. It also provides accountability of the platform in the case of harming the user or conveying false information.
Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC): It is aimed at democratizing e-commerce through the development of an open, interoperable network.
Digital India Initiative: Its emphasis is on the aspects of inclusive digital access, cybersecurity, and digital literacy – enabling citizens to make informed decisions in the digital realm.

Way Forward

Governments need to enforce stricter digital competition and data protection legislation to prevent enshittification, which should be transparent and accountable in how the algorithm works.
Places must embrace user-friendly design ideas and support ethical AI.
To limit the monopoly, open-source alternatives and interoperable digital ecosystems can be encouraged.
Lastly, better digital literacy and consumer awareness will enable users to make well-informed decisions on the internet.

Source: The Hindu