His enshittification reminds me of the the before times of America First and Fortress America. This time the aircraft carrier/ICBM is the interconnection of the world wide economy.
Love that article . However (the famous however , and I say this as a European ) - are European s smart enough ? Where are their Fortune 500 companies ? Where are there Magic Seven ? Of course Europeans can always say we didn’t need to develop internet as we don’t see any social value in it . And I think the problem is actually not , as I initially postulated , Europeans are simply too dumb to invent something exciting and something new - they are too wise . Too smart . They think all those things America now excels in are BS and detrimental to human life . But that attitude doesn’t help Europe now . That laissez faire to wave everything to the U.S. - that wisdom or laziness - is now an obstacle. But indeed it would be had for a European company to pull a “Meta” as nobody needs a Meta . There is no market . Bit now there is one anyway !
Well, CERN basically invented the World Wide Web, that's a thing. And yes, the American light touch on regulation helps let a thousand startup flowers bloom. But throttling that touch back once the flowers have taken over the house and found the checkbook turns out to be hard, once the flowers start buying politicians and writing their own regulations.
Our choices aren’t increasingly difficult: they are increasingly clear. They have a price tag that is only unexpected because until about 10 minutes ago we thought the US was a friendly power, not to mention decent, honest, and dedicated to global good. But it’s a price tag we can handle, and the last time we’re going to make that mistake about the US.
Starlink is a relatively fragile part of US hegemony, since the satellites only last five years.
X is a dead platform running. The most prominent replacements (Substack and Bluesky) are also US-based, but could potentially migrate if placed under too much pressure by Trump.
As regards web services, Amazon has already set up a supposedly arms-length European subsidiary. Forced divestment of that subsidiary would be a quick route to data sovereignty for Europe.
Excellent article. Cory Doctorow did us a favor by coming the new word "enshittification". It aptly describes what all monoploists try to do in a financialized world. One could use the same word for what the robber barons did in the Gilded Age. It was ever thus.
Adobe Systems was one of the early enshittifiers of its platform, mainly by enticing 3rd party developers, then screwing them, while jacking up prices for buyers, starting in the late 1980s at least. The internet has been a real liability, as the internet of things (IoT) has shown the vulnerability of not fully owning the things you buy. Reports of bricked products are now legion, as internet support is dropped for any reason. Musk's Tesla has been reported as bricking its cars if owners don't fully adhere to its services. Its "self-driving" mode is entirely dependent on its connections to the internet. Tesla can turn it off.
Reliance on a foreign power for platforms, especially defence, has a long history of angst. In the UK local weapons suppliers were ditched for US ones. But the dangers were known. In the 1980s, there was concern about whether nuclear weapons in the UK were truly dual-key, or whether the US could arm theirs independently on their UK-based air bases. Currently, the use of US Trident missiles on UK Polaris submarines has raised the question of 'kill switches". The French have the only truly independent nuclear weapons in Europe to potentially repel Russia. Most recently, an RAF F-35 was stranded in India with a small, but very hard to fix, "technical problem". It was stranded for 3 weeks, last I read. Hopefully, a RAF repair team has been dispatched to finally fix it.
As for getting around US hegemony, didn't Russia create its own banking system to avoid the Swift system and evade sanctions? Europe was lazy, relying on obviously superior technology for infrastructure and weapons. IDK what the EU response was to the US demand to eliminate Chinese hardware from the US, notably Huawei routers, a few years ago. The US has still delayed banning TikTok. [Meanwhile, Trump's "US-made" gold phones are made in China, and will remain so.] Palestine's Hamas may regret relying on foreign manufacturers of communications equipment that was subverted by Israel's Mossad.
For years, Europe has been trying to build alternative satellites for GPS systems and now internet satellite swarms. The problem is that private companies providing the infrastructure can be bought by foreign firms, and therefore control can be lost. Conversely, new laws in the EU can strand assets, particularly of tech companies. Trump already protected platform companies' profits by demanding Canada drop its digital services tax proposal to restart trade talks. (Compliance failed to do any good. I hope Canada reinstates it, because the EU will be the next target.)
There are many ways to subvert global hegemony. When the UK was one of the largest global trading nations at the beginning of the 20th century, Nazi Germany simply paid foreign exporters in special currency that could only be exchanged for German goods. I expect these sorts of workarounds will increase as the US tries to increase its hegemonic pressure. The problem for Europe and other Western allies is who to turn to. Surely not China. India? The BRICS? Unlike the 20th century, there is no giant national democracy to intercede. OTOH, a multi-polar world does create competition, and isn't this the best antidote to monopoly and eventual enshittification?
Neat framing. I'm looking forward to thinking through this further with the Wired article. And this is another to nudge to read Underground Empire, which is sitting on my digital shelf.
please accept my humblest apology for this heinous offense against the most basic standards of morality. In hindsight, I am utterly revolted at myself for having done this. As a token of my sincerity, I am willing to offer you a _complete refund_ on your subscription to Programmable Mutter.
Wired is an incredible bargain, but if you can’t afford it, entirely understandable, you can probably access it through your local library, online. It’s called Pressreader and there should be a link on your library’s website. Long live libraries. Lots of other great papers and journals also available.
Not just a "return", but maximum engagement and revenue stream generation, otherwise that's money left on the table. Donald Trump personally is seeing a very, very good return on his 2nd administration. The administration itself is simply executing plans developed by the Heritage Foundation, the Federalist Society and a host of lesser lights, all funded by billionaires who are very happy seeing items on their Letter to Santa being checked off. Some may quibble with his methods, but all are 100% behind his goals.
Excellent piece - thank you.
His enshittification reminds me of the the before times of America First and Fortress America. This time the aircraft carrier/ICBM is the interconnection of the world wide economy.
Love that article . However (the famous however , and I say this as a European ) - are European s smart enough ? Where are their Fortune 500 companies ? Where are there Magic Seven ? Of course Europeans can always say we didn’t need to develop internet as we don’t see any social value in it . And I think the problem is actually not , as I initially postulated , Europeans are simply too dumb to invent something exciting and something new - they are too wise . Too smart . They think all those things America now excels in are BS and detrimental to human life . But that attitude doesn’t help Europe now . That laissez faire to wave everything to the U.S. - that wisdom or laziness - is now an obstacle. But indeed it would be had for a European company to pull a “Meta” as nobody needs a Meta . There is no market . Bit now there is one anyway !
Well, CERN basically invented the World Wide Web, that's a thing. And yes, the American light touch on regulation helps let a thousand startup flowers bloom. But throttling that touch back once the flowers have taken over the house and found the checkbook turns out to be hard, once the flowers start buying politicians and writing their own regulations.
Sorry for all the typos . I do important things all the time and “my secretary is out of office “
Our choices aren’t increasingly difficult: they are increasingly clear. They have a price tag that is only unexpected because until about 10 minutes ago we thought the US was a friendly power, not to mention decent, honest, and dedicated to global good. But it’s a price tag we can handle, and the last time we’re going to make that mistake about the US.
A first step reported yesterday: Denmark is funding Eutelsat (Starlink replacement) for Ukraine.
https://kyivindependent.com/denmark-to-provide-european-produced-satellite-communication-services-to-ukraines-military/
Starlink is a relatively fragile part of US hegemony, since the satellites only last five years.
X is a dead platform running. The most prominent replacements (Substack and Bluesky) are also US-based, but could potentially migrate if placed under too much pressure by Trump.
As regards web services, Amazon has already set up a supposedly arms-length European subsidiary. Forced divestment of that subsidiary would be a quick route to data sovereignty for Europe.
Indeed.
Why, oh why can't we just commit this entire misadministration, starting with King MAGA himself, to a mental institution where they belong?
Excellent article. Cory Doctorow did us a favor by coming the new word "enshittification". It aptly describes what all monoploists try to do in a financialized world. One could use the same word for what the robber barons did in the Gilded Age. It was ever thus.
Adobe Systems was one of the early enshittifiers of its platform, mainly by enticing 3rd party developers, then screwing them, while jacking up prices for buyers, starting in the late 1980s at least. The internet has been a real liability, as the internet of things (IoT) has shown the vulnerability of not fully owning the things you buy. Reports of bricked products are now legion, as internet support is dropped for any reason. Musk's Tesla has been reported as bricking its cars if owners don't fully adhere to its services. Its "self-driving" mode is entirely dependent on its connections to the internet. Tesla can turn it off.
Reliance on a foreign power for platforms, especially defence, has a long history of angst. In the UK local weapons suppliers were ditched for US ones. But the dangers were known. In the 1980s, there was concern about whether nuclear weapons in the UK were truly dual-key, or whether the US could arm theirs independently on their UK-based air bases. Currently, the use of US Trident missiles on UK Polaris submarines has raised the question of 'kill switches". The French have the only truly independent nuclear weapons in Europe to potentially repel Russia. Most recently, an RAF F-35 was stranded in India with a small, but very hard to fix, "technical problem". It was stranded for 3 weeks, last I read. Hopefully, a RAF repair team has been dispatched to finally fix it.
As for getting around US hegemony, didn't Russia create its own banking system to avoid the Swift system and evade sanctions? Europe was lazy, relying on obviously superior technology for infrastructure and weapons. IDK what the EU response was to the US demand to eliminate Chinese hardware from the US, notably Huawei routers, a few years ago. The US has still delayed banning TikTok. [Meanwhile, Trump's "US-made" gold phones are made in China, and will remain so.] Palestine's Hamas may regret relying on foreign manufacturers of communications equipment that was subverted by Israel's Mossad.
For years, Europe has been trying to build alternative satellites for GPS systems and now internet satellite swarms. The problem is that private companies providing the infrastructure can be bought by foreign firms, and therefore control can be lost. Conversely, new laws in the EU can strand assets, particularly of tech companies. Trump already protected platform companies' profits by demanding Canada drop its digital services tax proposal to restart trade talks. (Compliance failed to do any good. I hope Canada reinstates it, because the EU will be the next target.)
There are many ways to subvert global hegemony. When the UK was one of the largest global trading nations at the beginning of the 20th century, Nazi Germany simply paid foreign exporters in special currency that could only be exchanged for German goods. I expect these sorts of workarounds will increase as the US tries to increase its hegemonic pressure. The problem for Europe and other Western allies is who to turn to. Surely not China. India? The BRICS? Unlike the 20th century, there is no giant national democracy to intercede. OTOH, a multi-polar world does create competition, and isn't this the best antidote to monopoly and eventual enshittification?
Neat framing. I'm looking forward to thinking through this further with the Wired article. And this is another to nudge to read Underground Empire, which is sitting on my digital shelf.
I don't find it acceptable to be directed to a link for which I have to pay (the WIRED article)
please accept my humblest apology for this heinous offense against the most basic standards of morality. In hindsight, I am utterly revolted at myself for having done this. As a token of my sincerity, I am willing to offer you a _complete refund_ on your subscription to Programmable Mutter.
*cough*turn off browser's javascript*cough* [The Wired article is worth reading for the extra detail]
Thanks for this hint! I had to turn it back on to reply
Wired is an incredible bargain, but if you can’t afford it, entirely understandable, you can probably access it through your local library, online. It’s called Pressreader and there should be a link on your library’s website. Long live libraries. Lots of other great papers and journals also available.
Enshittification happens because platform owners demand a return on investment. What is the return on investment the Trump administration expects?
mostly familial and oligarchic enrichment and consolidation of power, it seems, at least for now.
Not just a "return", but maximum engagement and revenue stream generation, otherwise that's money left on the table. Donald Trump personally is seeing a very, very good return on his 2nd administration. The administration itself is simply executing plans developed by the Heritage Foundation, the Federalist Society and a host of lesser lights, all funded by billionaires who are very happy seeing items on their Letter to Santa being checked off. Some may quibble with his methods, but all are 100% behind his goals.