Definition:
A condition in which individuals or creators become structurally reliant on a specific platform for visibility, income, access, or participation, despite having little control over its rules, changes, or long-term stability.
Usage Context:
Used in discussions about social media, creative labour, gig work, digital access schemes, and centralised online services.
Critical Note:
Platform dependency shifts risk downward. Users are expected to adapt endlessly to opaque changes, while platforms avoid responsibility for the harm those changes cause. For disabled and neurodivergent users, this dependency can mean losing access entirely when interfaces, policies, or “optimisations” change without warning.
Related Terms:
Consumer Lock-In, Switching Costs, Surveillance Capitalism, Enshittification, Platform Power