Platforms follow a predictable lifecycle of decay where they initially provide value to users to build a network, then pivot to extracting value from business customers, and finally squeeze both sides to maximize shareholder profit. This process inevitably leads to a degraded user experience, as seen with platforms like Amazon, Facebook, and Google.
A key factor enabling platform decay is the loss of interoperability—the ability for different services and products to work together. Historically, companies like Apple and Facebook grew by reverse-engineering competitors' products (Microsoft Office, MySpace), but now use intellectual property law to prevent others from doing the same to them.
Laws originally intended to protect creators, particularly Section 1201 of the DMCA, are now primarily used by large corporations as anti-competitive tools. These laws make it a felony to bypass technical protection measures, even for lawful purposes like repair, security research, or creating compatible products, thereby reinforcing monopolies.
There is a growing divergence in tech regulation between Europe and the United States. Europe is actively pursuing policies to mandate interoperability and dismantle tech monopolies, while the U.S. regulatory framework has remained largely stagnant for decades, allowing dominant firms to consolidate power with little oversight.
Doctorow argues that for creative workers threatened by generative AI and platform monopolies, the most effective defense is not new copyright law but collective bargaining. He points to the Writers Guild strike as a successful example of using union power to secure protections that individual negotiation or IP rights could not achieve.
Keep pulling the thread on Cory Doctorow.