European consumers ask EU to put a stop to digital enshittification

Online rights campaigners have come together to complain about the propensity of IT companies to make life more difficult for their users. The groups, mainly from Europe but with some from the US, have written to policy makers in the EU/EEA, UK and the US.

The initiative has been spearheaded by Forbrukerrådet (the Norwegian Consumer Council) which complained of the “enshittification” of software. The term was popularized by writer Cory Doctorow, one of the signatories of the letter to the policymakers.

In the letter the groups complain about “the increasing concentration of power and lack of alternatives in digital markets, the push for deregulation, and the urgent need to enforce digital laws to protect our fundamental rights and create a level playing field for competition and innovation.”

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AndyC

Andy Curtis is an award-winning security consultant, researcher and public speaker. He has been working in the computer security industry since the early 1990s, having been employed by state and federal government, leading healthcare and banking providers across three continents. He has given talks about computer security for some of the world’s largest companies, worked with law enforcement agencies on investigations into hacking groups, and is a regular voice on TV and radio explaining IT security threats.

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