Cory Doctorow discusses monopoly-driven decline of online platforms and Google search quality
Updated
Updated · WPSU · Apr 29
Cory Doctorow discusses monopoly-driven decline of online platforms and Google search quality
9 articles · Updated · WPSU · Apr 29
In a News Over Noise interview, Doctorow cites DOJ memos revealing Google executives prioritized ad revenue over search quality, fueling platform 'enshittification.'
He argues that monopoly power enables platforms to degrade user experience, undermining access to reliable information and democratic deliberation, while regulatory responses often reinforce centralization.
Doctorow highlights how surveillance advertising, algorithmic bias, and global trade policies entrench Big Tech dominance, but suggests privacy laws and international reforms could restore digital freedom and competition.
Can international coalitions successfully dismantle the IP laws that protect American tech monopolies?
Can the 'enshittification' of the internet be reversed, or is the decay of online platforms now inevitable?
What key lessons can the US learn from Europe's approach to regulating AI and data privacy?
As AI search erodes traffic, what new business models can publishers adopt to survive?
Are AI search tools a true evolution in user experience, despite their impact on publishers?
How does the decay of online information directly fuel growing public distrust in institutions?