Norway's Consumer Council takes aim at enshittification

Norway's Consumer Council has launched a comprehensive campaign against the creeping "enshittification" of modern digital services, publishing a 100-page report that examines how tech companies are degrading user experiences while maximizing profits.

The report, titled "Breaking Free: Pathways to a fair technological future," comes from Forbrukerrådet, Norway's independent government-funded consumer advocacy organization. Despite being a Norwegian agency, the council recognizes that consumer rights are routinely violated by companies worldwide, which is why the report is written in accessible English.

What makes this report stand out is its tone. Rather than producing a dry bureaucratic document, the authors have created something genuinely engaging. The report includes puns, occasional starred-out swearwords like "Do androids dream of electric s***", and a writing style that's both informative and entertaining. This approach makes it accessible to both technical and non-technical audiences.

To complement the report, Forbrukerrådet commissioned a four-minute satirical film from NewsLab called "A Day in the Life of an Ensh*ttificator." The video humorously illustrates how companies gradually degrade their services, making the concept immediately understandable to anyone who's experienced it.

The report is structured around five main sections: "The internet we want," "What is enshittification?," "How does enshittification happen?," "Generative AI is the next frontier of enshittification," and "A path to revive the internet: policy recommendations."

Special thanks are given to Cory Doctorow, who coined the term "enshittification," for sharing his early book draft and inspiring the report. Doctorow's concept describes how platforms start by being good to users, then abuse users to benefit business customers, and finally abuse everyone to extract maximum value for themselves.

The report provides concrete examples across multiple sectors:

Social Media and Big Tech

• "Enter the Metaworse" examines Facebook's decline
• "Competition is for Zuckers" looks at social network ownership concentration
• "Close to the Edge" discusses Microsoft's browser dominance
• The report notes how much Google pays Apple to remain the default search engine on iOS devices

Digital Ownership and DRM

• "Insert coin to continue" explores video game subscription models
• "Print Scream" examines printers with DRM-locked supplies
• "Streaming Pile" discusses Netflix's increasing restrictions
• "Home Invasion" looks at smart device problems

Emerging Technologies

• "Hell on Wheels" addresses connected car issues, particularly relevant in Norway where 98% of new car sales were EVs in February
• "A match made in hell" examines dating app problems
• "Drive fast and break things" looks at ride-hailing services
• "Generative AI is the next frontier of enshittification" warns about AI's potential to accelerate these trends

The report also touches on broader issues like digital sovereignty and tech regulation, though from a consumer perspective. Forbrukerrådet has published open letters to Norwegian authorities and European policymakers, advocating for stronger enforcement of the Digital Markets Act and competition law.

Finn Lützow-Holm Myrstad, director of digital policy at the Norwegian Consumer Council, told The Register that the goal was to outline a positive vision for digital services and how to achieve it. The council aims to foster services built on open source, open protocols, interoperability, and decentralization while shifting the power imbalance between consumers, Big Tech, and alternative service providers.

The campaign has resonated widely, with over 70 organizations from Europe and the US joining the effort. The report serves as a foundation for advocacy work moving forward, providing both technical and non-technical audiences with the tools to understand and fight against enshittification.

For anyone concerned about the direction of digital services – whether trying to explain the issues to parents or persuade board members – this report offers a comprehensive, accessible, and even entertaining resource for understanding and combating the trend of enshittification.