The Internet Con: How to Seize the Means of Computation
Summary
Argues that Big Tech’s power comes from high switching costs, and that mandated and adversarial interoperability would let users leave without losing their networks and data.
Why it’s useful here
Makes the policy and technical case for self-hosting and open protocols (ActivityPub, Matrix, email). Interoperability is what makes community-run services viable alongside platforms.
Key ideas
- Switching costs as the source of lock-in
- Adversarial interoperability (“comcom”: competitive compatibility)
- Enshittification, developed further in his 2025 book
Related
- doctorow-2025-enshittification.md