By Cory Doctorow (GPG 0xBF3D9110957E5F4C) @doctorow.pluralistic.net · 15/10/2026Here's Amazon's sleaziest commercial practice: when you search Amazon, the top results for your search aren't the best matches for your queries; they're products sold by the companies willing to pay the most for search placement, in a "real-time auction" that runs every time you search. 110914
By Cory Doctorow (GPG 0xBF3D9110957E5F4C) @doctorow.pluralistic.net · 15/10/2026The cost of winning that auction comes out of your pocket through higher prices: the first result for an Amazon query is, on average, 29% more expensive than the best match. The top row is *25% more* expensive. 29722
By Cory Doctorow (GPG 0xBF3D9110957E5F4C) @doctorow.pluralistic.net · 15/10/2026On average, the best match for your query is *17* positions down the screen, on the second page, where almost no one ever bothers to scroll: pluralistic.net/2023/11/03/s...pluralistic.netPluralistic: Big Tech’s “attention rents” (03 Nov 2023) – Pluralistic: Daily links from Cory Doctorow 210422
J.D. Popham @jdpopham.substack.com · 15/10/2026Help me understand this, Cory. 1) The seller has to offer the product through Amazon at the best price. 2) Amazon doesn't usually offer the buyer the best available price up front, but a price 29% more expensive than the best price. Is that correct? 100