Doctrow argues that nascent tech unionization (which we’re closer to having now than ever before) combined with bipartisan fear (and consequent regulation) either directly or via agencies like the FTC and FCC can help to curb Big Tech’s power, and the enshittification that it has wrought.
That’s the one thing I don’t agree with. No one is locked into streaming services. Charging the prices people are willing to pay is not enshittification. Encshittfication will be when they buy all the cable TV, shut it down, start producing only reality shows and show ads every 5 minutes. So far they charge more but Netflix is still making Oscar winning movies.
Eh, people have their own tastes in TV. Streaming companies buy exclusive rights to certain content and if that’s where your tastes lie, you’re pretty SOL. It’s about as close to “lock-in” as you can get.
Your definition of enshittificantion is also far too strict. It’s just the shift that companies inevitably make from trying to attract new users quickly by providing a great service, to trying to extract maximum profit by degrading the service quality and cramming in as much revenue generation as they can.