17 November 2025: Downstream IRL – Enshittification: Why the Internet Sucks Now (Aaron Bastani in Conversation With Cory Doctorow)

Join us for the final Downstream IRL of the year, where Novara Media’s Aaron Bastani will be sitting down with one of the world’s sharpest tech critics, the science fiction author & journalist Cory Doctorow, to discuss the release of his new book Enshittification: Why Everything Suddenly Got Worse and What To Do About It. 

Why does our online public square increasingly resemble a hellish dumpster fire? Why have our places for virtual gathering become sewers of misogyny? How come, where I could once follow friends and loved ones, I’m now bombarded by AI slop instead? And what can we do about it? 

‘Enshittification’, a term coined by Doctorow, describes the familiar decay in the quality and user experience of online platforms. He argues that the rise of conspiracism, surveillance, generative AI and fraud drowning the internet is no accident, but part of the monopolists’ playbook for extracting value and controlling our online spaces (and minds). 

Aaron and Cory will discuss the book’s eye-opening case studies, unpick the insidious tactics employed by tech giants, and unveil just how unscrupulous these companies are. They’ll be exploring what it will take to shatter the corporate monopolies, and how we might begin to reclaim the internet. 

Expect big questions, bold analysis, and the kind of conversation you simply won’t find anywhere else.

Doors will open at 6.30pm and the event will begin at 7.30pm. You’ll have the chance to grab some Novara merch or get yourself a copy of Doctorow’s book in the bar. 

All funds will support Novara Media’s independent, truthful journalism.

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EartH is a social enterprise committed to supporting new musicians, with music studios in the venue that are completely free for young artists in Hackney to use. Find out more here (https://earthackney.co.uk/about/studio-36/).