The enshittification glossary

The gradual degradation of a platform or service as its owner shifts value away from users and business customers toward itself after dependence makes leaving difficult. The common one-t spelling, enshitification, refers to the same coined term.

An interface designed to steer, pressure or obstruct people in ways that benefit the service, such as hiding cancellation, preselecting an add-on or manufacturing urgency.

A recurring-payment arrangement in which the ongoing price, renewal or exit is less clear or more difficult than the original sign-up.

A billing model that treats silence or inaction as agreement to continue, including automatic renewals and trials that become paid subscriptions unless the customer cancels.

Showing part of a mandatory price early, then adding unavoidable fees later in the purchase flow after the customer has invested time in the transaction.

The practical ability to keep, use, preserve, transfer or repair a digital product without continuing permission from the original vendor or storefront.

Technical controls that limit access, copying or use of digital media and software. DRM can enforce a licence, but it can also make a lawful purchase dependent on accounts and servers that may not last.

The ability of owners and independent repairers to obtain the parts, manuals, diagnostics and software access needed to maintain a product on fair terms.

Dependence created when data formats, integrations, licensing, network effects or switching charges make moving to another supplier unusually costly.

The ability of products and services from different providers to exchange data and work together without requiring one company to control the entire system.

The ability to export information in a complete, usable format and move it to another service. A download is not meaningful portability when the format cannot be read elsewhere.

A software rule embedded in hardware that rejects parts, consumables, repairs or features unless they satisfy conditions controlled by the manufacturer.