The Norwegian Consumer Council has launched a global campaign against the deliberate degradation of digital products and services, known as 'enshittification'. A satirical video featuring an 'enshittificator' who saws table legs and snips holes in socks aims to highlight how consumers would not tolerate such deterioration in the physical world.
Finn Lützow-Holm Myrstad, the council's digital policy director, said the campaign shows that the status quo is not inevitable. The term, coined by author Cory Doctorow, describes practices like ad-filled feeds, lag-inducing updates, and chatbots replacing human customer service.
In late February, the council joined over 70 groups across Europe and the US, including trade unions and human rights organisations, urging policymakers in 14 countries to act. Letters called for stronger consumer rights to control, repair, and move between services, and for enforcing existing laws to foster competition.
An 80-page report accompanies the campaign, detailing how enshittification became the norm. The video has garnered millions of views and thousands of comments, indicating widespread public support. Lützow-Holm Myrstad compared the effort to David versus Goliath, noting that international unity is key to turning the tide.
