Amazon’s “Enshittification”: How Profit-Driven Control Threatens Digital Markets and Consumer Trust

The Rise of “Enshittification”: How Amazon’s Evolution Reshapes Digital Market Dynamics

The digital marketplace, once hailed as a democratizing force, now finds itself at a crossroads. Cory Doctorow’s term “enshittification”—a pithy encapsulation of the decline from user-centric value to profit-maximizing exploitation—resonates deeply in the context of Amazon’s trajectory. The retail titan’s journey from radical disruptor to dominant gatekeeper mirrors a wider shift in the ethos of online platforms, raising urgent questions about competition, consumer welfare, and the ethical boundaries of platform power.

From Radical Convenience to Market Entrapment

Amazon’s early promise was built on a foundation of unparalleled convenience, aggressive pricing, and boundless choice. These qualities didn’t just win over consumers; they redefined expectations across the retail landscape, setting a new standard for what digital commerce could deliver. For a time, Amazon’s relentless focus on customer satisfaction seemed to herald a golden age of consumer empowerment.

Yet, as Doctorow observes, this honeymoon period was finite. As Amazon’s market share swelled, so did its leverage over both buyers and sellers. The company’s algorithms—once designed to surface the best deals and most relevant products—now increasingly prioritize listings from merchants who pay steep fees for visibility. The result is a marketplace where genuine choice is obscured, and the once-transparent relationship between price and value is muddied by hidden costs and manipulated search results.

This evolution is not merely a story of corporate greed; it is emblematic of a systemic shift in business logic. The relentless pursuit of short-term profitability has supplanted the broader, more sustainable goal of fostering an equitable market ecosystem. The “Amazon tax”—the cumulative effect of rising merchant fees and pay-to-play placement—ultimately lands on the consumer’s doorstep, eroding the very trust that fueled Amazon’s ascent.

The Hidden Costs of Platform Dominance

The consequences of this shift ripple far beyond the checkout cart. Amazon’s dominance has created a lock-in effect for both consumers and merchants. Sellers, squeezed by rising fees and algorithmic opacity, find themselves with little room to innovate or compete on their own terms. For consumers, the veneer of low prices masks a reality of diminished product diversity and compromised search quality. The platform’s gravitational pull stifles competition, suppresses alternative business models, and undermines the dynamism that once defined the digital economy.

This cycle is self-reinforcing: as Amazon consolidates its power, it becomes less responsive to user needs and more focused on extracting value from its captive audience. The broader result is a marketplace where innovation gives way to stagnation, and trust—once the bedrock of digital commerce—begins to erode.

Regulatory Challenges in a Borderless Economy

Amazon’s influence extends beyond economic calculations to the geopolitical and regulatory spheres. Its transnational reach complicates efforts by individual governments to rein in monopolistic behaviors. Local regulatory attempts, whether in the form of antitrust actions or digital transparency mandates, can trigger unintended consequences across global supply chains and consumer markets.

The need for coordinated, internationally coherent frameworks has never been more pressing. Policymakers are increasingly called to look past the narrow consumer welfare standard—focused solely on price—and instead address the structural realities of platform power. Proposals for reform include stricter antitrust scrutiny, algorithmic transparency, and mechanisms to ensure fair competition for both merchants and consumers.

Rethinking Ethical Responsibility in the Age of Digital Monopolies

At the heart of this debate lies an ethical quandary: Should digital platforms be allowed to systematically manipulate market conditions in pursuit of unchecked growth? The answer, as Doctorow and a growing chorus of critics suggest, cannot rest on individual consumer choices alone. Collective action—spanning policy, activism, and worker advocacy—is essential to recalibrate the balance between innovation and accountability.

The story of “enshittification” is not just a cautionary tale about Amazon; it is a clarion call to reimagine the relationship between technology, commerce, and society. As digital platforms continue to shape the contours of our economic lives, the imperative to align their incentives with the broader public good grows ever more urgent. The future of the digital marketplace may well depend on our willingness to confront these challenges head-on, forging new norms that place fairness, transparency, and genuine value at the center of the online experience.