How hackers can seize the means of computation

The enshittification of the internet wasn’t inevitable. The old, good internet gave way to the enshitternet because we let our bosses enshittify it. We took away the constraints of competition, regulation, interop and tech worker power, and so when our bosses yanked on the big enshittification lever in the c-suite, it started to budge further and further, toward total enshittification. A new, good internet is possible - and necessary - and it needs you.

In “DEF CON 32 - Disenshittify or die! How hackers can seize the means of computation” Cory Doctorow addresses the critical need to regain user control of our tech ecosystem.

The shift towards profit-driven motives has created an enshittification of the internet that harms users, and worsens society.

Platforms start by delivering value to users, often subsidize by investors, but eventually start prioritizing arbitrary profit & growth KPIs; ignoring their user’s safety and privacy; undermining user experience, and creators’ freedom.

Doctorow’s call is clear: to fight back, we must embrace open-source tools, push for interoperability, and resist being locked into monopolistic ecosystems that exploit and restrict.

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