Cory Doctorow criticizes Amazon for its decline, a trend he refers to as “enshittification.” He claims that the company now prioritizes profits over user experience, leading to lower quality goods and manipulative practices.
Amazon’s Shift in Focus
Doctorow explains that Amazon initially built its platform through user-friendly services and low prices. However, as its market power increased, the company started prioritizing paid placements and sponsored ads, leaving customers frustrated with substandard search results.
He points out that this has transformed product searches into challenging experiences, with shoppers struggling to find genuine offerings amidst AI-generated ads and cheap imitations.
Antitrust Concerns and Business Practices
Doctorow discusses Amazon’s antitrust issues, noting how financial strategies allow it to maintain a monopoly. He elaborates on how predatory pricing helped Amazon undercut competitors, followed by raising fees and enforcing restrictive clauses that limit sellers.
The recent $2.5 billion settlement with the FTC is highlighted as evidence of these practices, as it addresses customer manipulation tactics. Doctorow warns that without regulatory actions, Amazon’s problems will continue to worsen.
Impact on Workers and Overall Quality
Beyond pricing, Doctorow criticizes Amazon’s labor practices, citing unsafe working conditions and wage theft. He indicates that the company’s substantial profits could have improved these issues, but instead, they contribute to poorer customer experiences.
Doctorow asserts that as Amazon shifts further toward profit maximization, the quality of products suffers. He emphasizes that the company needs to reinvent itself or risk further decline in service and competition.
