Commodification of the Platform

The process by which digital platforms themselves—and the relationships they mediate—are turned into tradable assets. Platform access becomes something to buy (premium features), sell (ad slots), or speculate on (platform stocks). User data, API calls, and even “likes” are commodified. The commodification of the platform turns what was once a neutral infrastructure into a revenue stream, often at the expense of the community that built the platform’s value.

Example: “When the social network started charging for verified badges, it completed the commodification of the platform: users who created the content now had to pay for the privilege of being seen.”

Elitism of the Platform

A status hierarchy based on access to platform features, visibility, or algorithmic favour. Premium users get faster support, better recommendations, and higher rankings; free users get delays, ads, and invisibility. The elitism of the platform creates a two‑tier experience where paying or being influential grants privileges that are impossible for ordinary users to earn through merit alone. It turns platform democracy into platform aristocracy.

Example: “Her verified badge meant her posts appeared first; his unverified replies were buried. The elitism of the platform made his voice invisible not because he was wrong, but because he hadn’t paid.”

Commodification of the Platform by Abzugal Nammugal Enkigal April 21, 2026