Cory Doctorow: The Internet Is Broken. Now What?

Why does every app, website and platform seem to get worse over time?

Writer, activist and technology critic Cory Doctorow joins us to discuss Enshittification, his urgent and entertaining exploration of how the digital services we rely on have become increasingly frustrating, exploitative and difficult to escape.

Doctorow, who coined the now-famous term "enshittification", traces the rise of Big Tech monopolies and reveals how platforms that once served users gradually began serving advertisers, shareholders and themselves instead.

Combining razor-sharp analysis with wit, optimism and practical solutions, he argues that this decline is not inevitable and need not be permanent. Essential for anyone who has ever shouted at an algorithm, abandoned a social media platform or wondered where the internet went wrong.

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Events last one hour unless otherwise stated, followed by a book signing in The Clearing. Our official bookseller is Waterstones.

Folkestone Book Festival is our annual celebration of stories, ideas and conversation by the sea. Curated by novelist Sophie Haydock (The Flames, Madame Matisse), this year’s festival brings together more than 60 events across two weeks, welcoming world-class writers, thinkers and storytellers to Folkestone.

Discover another event, browse the bookshop, explore Folkestone’s vibrant arts scene, independent cafés, bars and galleries, and share the experience with a friend. The best festivals are as much about the conversations between events as those on stage.

The Festival is part of Folkestone is a Library, our ambitious town-wide celebration of reading, writing and storytelling, helping make Folkestone one of the UK’s most exciting literary destinations.

We believe great conversations should be for everyone, which is why every event includes a £5 Cost of Living Ticket, available with no questions asked.

Please help us spread the word. Together, we’re building a thriving community of readers, writers and curious minds.

Folkestone Book Festival is proudly supported by Eurotunnel, Canterbury Christ Church University, Holiday Extras, and the Friends of Folkestone Book Festival. Creative Folkestone is supported by Arts Council England, Folkestone & Hythe District Council and Saga. Founding Funder The Roger De Haan Charitable Trust.