Cory Doctorow

In this course

Doctorow is a science fiction author and activist whose concept of "enshittification"—the deliberate degradation of digital platforms once they've captured users—has become central to critiques of algorithmic capitalism and corporate control. The readings use his work to frame how monopolistic platforms systematically degrade user experience as a business strategy, positioning algorithmic literacy and resistance as urgent political questions. His writing serves as a bridge between speculative fiction thinking about technology futures and materialist analysis of how present-day tech companies exploit network effects and lock-in.

Mentioned in 3 readings