Book Review: Enshittification: Why Everything Suddenly Got Worse—and What to Do About It

Review: Enshittification: Why Everything Suddenly Got Worse—and What to Do About It

by Cory Doctorow
Narrated by the author
Courtesy of Macmillan Audio

Estimated Read Time: 2–3 minutes
Star Rating: ★★★★☆ (4/5)

If you’ve ever wondered why Amazon search feels pay-to-play, why Apple takes a 30 percent cut from app developers, or why once-beloved platforms now feel extractive rather than helpful, Cory Doctorow has a word for it—and a compelling explanation.

In Enshittification, Doctorow names and dissects a pattern most users experience but rarely see explained. Platforms begin by serving users well. Once users are locked in, they shift to serving advertisers and business customers. Finally, when switching costs are high and competition is weak, platforms extract maximum value from everyone—users, creators, and suppliers alike.

Doctorow grounds his argument in concrete examples. Amazon’s marketplace, once optimized for consumers, now captures roughly 40–50 percent of many sellers’ revenue through layered fees, fulfillment costs, and paid placement—turning search results into auctions rather than relevance rankings. Apple’s App Store, after locking users and developers into its ecosystem, imposes a 30 percent commission on in-app purchases while restricting developers from steering customers to cheaper alternatives. Facebook’s algorithmic shifts similarly prioritize monetization over connection, degrading the user experience while making departure emotionally and socially costly.

What elevates Enshittification above a standard tech critique is Doctorow’s clarity about cause and effect. These outcomes are not bugs; they are business strategies enabled by monopoly power, weak antitrust enforcement, and high switching costs. Doctorow strips away the myth that “technology just got worse” and replaces it with a framework rooted in economics and incentives.

Doctorow’s writing is direct, confident, and unapologetically opinionated. At times, the book can feel dense—particularly for readers less familiar with antitrust policy or platform economics—but the argument remains accessible and well supported. His self-narration on the audiobook is a strength: calm, authoritative, and conversational, sounding more like an informed advocate than a performer.

Importantly, Doctorow does not leave the reader in despair. He outlines realistic remedies—interoperability, stronger competition policy, and regulatory reform—arguing that these systems were designed and therefore can be redesigned.

Enshittification is not a neutral book, nor is it meant to be. It is a clear-eyed, necessary examination of why so many digital products now feel adversarial—and what it would take to make them serve users again.

Pros

• Sharp, memorable framework that explains a widespread problem
• Concrete, relatable examples (Amazon, Apple, Facebook)
• Clear linkage between economics, power, and platform design
• Strong, authoritative self-narration
• Offers realistic paths forward, not just critique

Cons

• Can feel dense for readers new to antitrust or tech economics
• Strong point of view may challenge readers seeking neutrality

C.Francis, The RicanReader 1/12/2026