It defines it as “the gradual deterioration of a service or product brought about by a reduction in the quality of service provided, especially of an online platform, and as a consequence of profit-seeking."

The term has resonated with many who feel the internet has seen better days.

This includes Google search results filled with trash, the internet overrun with SEO-farming websites, Facebook's endless stream of AI-generated nonsense, and Zoom pestering users to test new AI features right before important meetings.

It also covers Twitter – now called X – where the new owner dismisses the value of sharing links. Even simple tasks like reinstalling Windows 11 become an ordeal, with Microsoft pushing unwanted extras like OneDrive, Office 360, and Call of Duty Black Ops 6.

The term "enshittification" was coined by writer and activist Cory Doctorow in 2022. In a recent interview with The Register, he offered potential solutions to this pervasive issue.

"We need to have prohibition and regulation that prohibits the capital markets from funding predatory pricing," Doctorow explained.

"It's very hard to enter the market when people are selling things below cost. We need to prohibit predatory acquisitions. Look at Facebook: buying Instagram, and Mark Zuckerberg sending an email saying we're buying Instagram because people don't like Facebook and they're moving to Instagram, and we just don't want them to have anywhere else to go."