Cory Doctorow Warns 40 Years of Policy Fueled Platform 'Enshittification' at April 16 Summit
Updated
Updated · The Walrus · May 27
Cory Doctorow Warns 40 Years of Policy Fueled Platform 'Enshittification' at April 16 Summit
2 articles · Updated · The Walrus · May 27
Doctorow told DemocracyXChange that digital platforms did not decay because regulation lagged technology, but because policymakers made foreseeable pro-monopoly choices that favored profit and control.
He pointed to decades of weakened antitrust enforcement and to Canada's 2012 Bill C-11, saying officials ignored 6,132 consultation submissions opposing anti-circumvention rules and still passed them.
That policy failure, he argued, has left citizens trapped in extractive systems, eroded trust online and encouraged monopolies that can sharply raise prices — he cited eyewear costs rising 1,000 percent.
Doctorow said the answer is collective political action rather than careful consumer choices, comparing individual platform avoidance to trying to recycle your way out of a wildfire.
Speaking from experience in both the U.S. and Canada, he linked tech policy to wider democratic strain, warning that austerity, chatbot-driven public-service cuts and political fear can deepen public anger.
Is 'enshittification' a fatal flaw of digital capitalism, or can new policies genuinely fix the internet?
As AI integrates into public services, how do we prevent the 'enshittification' of democracy itself?
If individual boycotts fail, what does effective collective action against powerful tech monopolies actually look like?
Enshittification Exposed: Cory Doctorow’s 2026 Summit Call for Antitrust, Interoperability, and Digital Democracy
Overview
At the 2026 DemocracyXChange Summit in Toronto, Cory Doctorow warned about 'enshittification,' the deliberate decline of digital platforms driven by policy choices over decades. He explained that platforms first serve users, then exploit business customers, and finally extract value mainly for investors, leading to widespread frustration. This process is not inevitable but results from market concentration and weakened competition, allowing big tech companies to lock in users and shape regulations. Doctorow’s message, recognized globally, calls for systemic policy changes and collective action to restore fairness and public control over digital platforms.