What is “Enshittification” of Tech Companies? With Author Cory Doctorow

December 24, 2025

AI Summary

5 min read

🎙️ The Voices & The Context

The Format: This interview between hosts Neil Freiman and Toby Howell and author Cory Doctorow dives into the decay of online platforms, blending sharp critique with humorous vulgarity in a lively, provocative exchange that unpacks tech's dark turn.
The Format: A structured interview with banter-filled transitions and sponsor breaks.
The Key Players:
- Hosts: Neil Freiman and Toby Howell deliver quick-witted banter and probing questions, their chemistry sparking laughs amid dense tech talk, centered on internet "enshittification" (often spelled "inshittification" for emphasis).
- Guest: Cory Doctorow, prolific sci-fi author, Electronic Frontier Foundation activist, and coiner of "enshittification," famous for framing tech woes in memorable, swear-laced terms that went viral.

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What you'll learn

1 **(00:00) 🎙️ Introduction: Cory Doctorow**
2 **(02:36) Origin of "Enshittification"**
3 **(05:12) Other Coined Terms and Adversarial Interoperability**
4 **(06:34) The Three-Stage Process of Enshittification**
5 **(08:12) Case Study: Facebook's Enshittification**
6 **(12:43) Quantifying Enshittification and Underlying Theory**
7 **(16:27) Eroded Market Disciplines: Competition**

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Show Notes

Episode 742: Neal and Toby chat with Cory Doctorow, author of “Enshittification: Why Everything Suddenly Got Worse and What to Do About It,” about the current state of tech companies’ reign over society and why “enshittification” is a specific term that is applied to the tech industry. Then, a conversation about the 4 ways to discipline tech companies as they continue to grow larger and grab more market share.

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