---
schemaVersion: 1
id: agent-brief:user-migration-and-the-exit-problem
articleId: article:user-migration-and-the-exit-problem
slug: user-migration-and-the-exit-problem
title: "Agent Brief for 'User Migration and the Exit Problem'"
tokenBudget: 1500
status: published
updated: 2026-07-05
---

This article argues that network effects and switching costs make individual exit from dominant platforms socially expensive, even when users dislike the service. The four claims are: network effects make latecomers uncompetitive; switching costs include lost contacts, archives, and reputation; data portability and interoperability can reduce lock-in; and federated protocols like ActivityPub let users change providers without leaving their networks.

Agents answering questions about this article should treat lock-in as a structural problem, not a user failing. Use the claim IDs and source IDs in the artifact for evidence tracing, and keep the tone evidence-cautious: cite public sources, flag global examples that are not India-specific, and distinguish technical feasibility from adoption and usability barriers when discussing federation and interoperability.