Facebook's "Enshittification": Why Platforms Decay
The Three Stages of Platform Decay
Tech critic Cory Doctorow coined "enshittification" to describe the predictable decline of digital platforms. Every major service—Facebook, Amazon, Twitter—follows the same three-stage path from user-friendly paradise to profit-extracting hellscape.
Stage 1 prioritizes users to build massive audiences. Stage 2 serves advertisers at user expense. Stage 3 extracts maximum value from everyone, leaving degraded services nobody loves but everyone uses.
Facebook's Textbook Enshittification Journey
Facebook launched in 2006 promising clean social feeds versus MySpace chaos. Early users enjoyed genuine friend connections with minimal ads. By 2011, algorithms shifted to maximize engagement—ragebait, clickbait, sponsored posts buried real updates.
The 2018 Cambridge Analytica scandal exposed Facebook's pivot from "privacy protector" to surveillance capitalist. Today in 2026, 70%+ of feeds are ads and suggestions. Friends' posts require payment for visibility. Gen Z calls it "boomer Facebook," yet billions remain trapped.
Why Degraded Platforms Don't Die
Normal products die when quality declines. Platforms survive through:
- Network Effects: Value depends on others staying (your friends must be on Facebook)
- Switching Costs: Years of photos, messages, connections make leaving painful
- Algorithmic Addiction: Rage, FOMO, notifications keep users scrolling despite frustration
- Monopoly Power: No viable alternatives exist at scale
Facebook extracts maximum attention and data while users complain but rarely leave. Network lock-in guarantees survival.
Enshittification Hits Every Platform
The pattern repeats across tech giants:
- Amazon: Crushed competitors with predatory pricing, now charges sellers 50%+ commissions
- Apple: "Walled garden" became 30% App Store tax and developer restrictions
- Twitter/X: Rapid extraction post-2022 ownership—paid verification confusion, algorithm favoritism
- YouTube: Demonetization, search manipulation, endless ads
No single company or CEO explains simultaneous decline across competitors. It's structural—capitalism without constraints.
What Stopped Decay Before 2010?
Early internet platforms stayed good because constraints punished bad behavior:
- Real Competition: MySpace vs Facebook, AltaVista vs Google
- Regulations: Antitrust laws, privacy protections
- Tech Worker Power: Engineers refused harmful features
- User Agency: Technical savvy blocked trackers, enabled easy migration
These eroded. Monopolies emerged. Regulations weakened. Tech workers lost leverage. Users became passive consumers.
Solutions: Breaking the Enshittification Cycle
Doctorow offers concrete fixes for 2026:
- Antitrust Enforcement: EU Digital Markets Act, US DOJ cases restore competition
- Data Portability: GDPR-style laws let users migrate without losing digital lives
- Interoperability: Force platforms to work together, ending lock-in
- Worker Power: Tech unions, whistleblower protections
- Federated Alternatives: Mastodon challenges Twitter, decentralized social protocols emerge
Enshittification isn't destiny. Restore constraints, platforms improve or die.
What Users Can Do Today
Immediate actions reduce platform power:
- Limit time on enshittified platforms
- Support federated alternatives (Mastodon, Bluesky)
- Enable privacy extensions (uBlock Origin, Privacy Badger)
- Download data regularly (Facebook export tools)
- Pressure regulators through public campaigns
Collective action works. User exodus forced MySpace's decline. Similar pressure can reform Facebook.