Platform decay isn't inevitable; it occurred because four historical checks and balances were removed. These were: robust antitrust enforcement preventing monopolies, regulation imposing penalties for bad behavior, a powerful tech workforce that could refuse unethical tasks, and technical interoperability that gave users control via third-party tools.
The current era of exploitative digital platforms was made possible by a multi-decade failure to enforce antitrust laws. This policy shift allowed companies to buy rivals (e.g., Facebook buying Instagram) and engage in predatory pricing (e.g., Uber), creating the monopolies that can now extract value without competitive consequence.
Digital platforms can algorithmically change rules, prices, and recommendations on a per-user, per-session basis, a practice called "twiddling." This leverages surveillance data to maximize extraction, such as raising prices on payday or offering lower wages to workers with high credit card debt, which was previously too labor-intensive for businesses to implement.
Platforms first attract users with a great service, then pivot to monetizing those users for business customers, and finally extract all value for themselves, degrading the experience for everyone else. This cycle, termed "inshittification," is enabled by locking in users and businesses who become too dependent to leave.