Enshittification Comes to ‘Smart’ Products
The term enshittification, famously coined by Cory Doctorow to describe big platforms’ exploitative strategies, also applies to the user experience for some physical products with digital connectivity. When companies use digital control over products to extract data from users and charge them for ongoing use of and access to features, they unlock new revenue streams. But they may also threaten the norms of ownership and the customer relationship.