Consumer Rights Wiki - User contributions [en]

GameStop

2025-08-18T00:01:54Z

Silk Weaver: Planted the seed for a new section on GameStop's NFT marketplace to grow from.

{{incomplete}}

{{InfoboxCompany
| Name = GameStop
| Type = Public
| Founded = 1984
| Industry = Video game retail
| Official Website = https://gamestop.com/
| Logo = GameStop.png
}}

'''[[Wikipedia:GameStop|GameStop Corp.]]''' (NYSE: GME) is an American company which sells video games, video-game accessories, gaming merchandise, and collectables. It was founded in 1984 by James McCurry and Gary M. Kusin as Babbages Etc, only gaining the name "GameStop" much later in its life.

==Cancellation policy==
Cancellation of pre-owned tech (i.e., phones and other tech devices) can only be done through a phone call:<ref>{{Cite web |title=GameStop Return Policy |url=https://www.gamestop.com/fullreturnpolicy/ |url-status=live |access-date=17 Apr 2025 |website=[[GameStop]]}}</ref><blockquote>You can return most items in-store or by calling our customer service at 1-800-883-8895; online orders may be returned in-store without a fee, and shipped returns will incur a fee of $8.99. Pre-owned Tech (i.e., phones and other tech devices) are returnable only via calling customer service.</blockquote>Hold times for cancellation are significantly longer than other reasons for calls at the same time of day.{{Citation needed}}

== NFT marketplace ==
On October 31st, 2022, GameStop announced the unveiling of its marketplace for [[Non-fungible tokens]] (NFTs) in partnership with ImmutableX.<ref>https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221031005853/en/GameStops-NFT-Marketplace-Launches-with-ImmutableX</ref>

It would only last two years, closing its doors on February 2nd 2024.<ref>https://decrypt.co/212761/gamestop-bails-on-crypto-gaming-killing-nft-marketplace</ref>

==References==
<references />
[[Category:GameStop]]

Star Citizen

2025-08-17T21:33:09Z

Silk Weaver: Removed a clumsy "and" from the blurb at the top of the article.

{{InfoboxProductLine
| Title = Star Citizen
| Release Year = 2012-present
| Product Type = Digital Game Content
| In Production = Yes
| Developer = Cloud Imperium Games
| Official Website = https://robertsspaceindustries.com/
|Logo=Star citizen logo.png}}

'''[[Wikipedia:Star Citizen|Star Citizen]]''', a crowdfunded space simulation game, has sold numerous digital products and features since 2012 that remain undelivered as of 2024. Key items include ships costing hundreds of dollars, a modding platform, private server capabilities, pets, and much more, all of which continue to be marketed and sold despite no implementation timeline.

==Background==
Star Citizen began as a Kickstarter campaign in 2012 by Chris Roberts, creator of Wing Commander. The project promised a combination of space combat, trading, and exploration alongside a single-player campaign called Squadron 42. The campaign raised $2.1 million initially, with total crowdfunding exceeding $600 million by 2024 through continuous sales of digital ships and game packages.

==Undelivered Product Sales==
Cloud Imperium Games (CIG) has maintained a practice of selling digital products years before implementation under the guise of calling it a 'concept', with several items or 'pledges' remaining undelivered after a decade:

===Ships and Vehicles===
*Idris-M: Military variant sold in 2012 for $1,000, incomplete version delivered May 2025.<ref>https://starcitizen.tools/Idris-M</ref>
*Idris-P: Civilian variant sold since 2012 for $1,250, price increased to $1,500, incomplete version delivered May 2025.<ref>https://starcitizen.tools/Idris-P</ref>
*Banu Merchantman|Merchantman: First sold in 2013 for $250 (original concept sale), currently priced at $600.<ref>https://starcitizen.tools/Merchantman</ref>
*Orion: First sold in 2014 for $325 (original concept sale), industrial mining vessel remains undelivered, current price $575.<ref>https://starcitizen.tools/Orion</ref>
*Genesis Starliner: Sold in 2015 for $400 (original concept sale), passenger transport remains undelivered.<ref>https://starcitizen.tools/Genesis_Starliner</ref>
*Endeavor: Made available in 2015 for $350 (original concept sale), limited availability since with price increases.<ref>https://starcitizen.tools/Endeavor</ref>
*Hull D: Sold since 2015 for $350 (original concept sale), price increased in subsequent sales.<ref>https://starcitizen.tools/Hull_D</ref>
*Hull E: Offered in 2015 for $550 (original concept sale), increased to $950 in later sales.<ref>https://starcitizen.tools/Hull_E</ref>
*Crucible: Sold in 2015 for $350 (original concept sale), repair ship remains undelivered.<ref>https://starcitizen.tools/Crucible</ref>
*Pioneer: Marketed in 2017 for $850 (original concept sale), base-building vessel remains in concept phase<ref>https://starcitizen.tools/Pioneer</ref>
*Drake Kraken: First sold in 2018 for $1,400 (original concept sale), capital ship with privateer variant sold for $2,000, remains undelivered.<ref>https://starcitizen.tools/Kraken</ref>
*Railen: First sold in 2021 for $200 (original concept sale), remains undelivered.<ref>https://starcitizen.tools/Railen</ref>

Note: All listed vessels have been sold multiple times since their original concept sales, often at increased prices. Many remain in concept phase or early development despite years passing since initial sales.

==Consumer Protection Concerns==
The practice of selling digital products years before implementation has raised significant consumer protection concerns. Despite marketing these items as 'pledges' or 'concepts', CIG continues to charge real money for digital goods with no firm delivery timeline or guarantee of implementation. The company's terms of service have been modified multiple times since 2012, changing the conditions under which refunds are offered and altering customer rights regarding purchased content. Many backers who attempted to obtain refunds for undelivered products have reported difficulties, with CIG often citing their evolving terms of service as justification for denial. The lack of concrete development schedules for sold items, combined with regular price increases for unreleased content, has led to criticism from consumer advocacy groups and gaming industry observers. Additionally, the practice of artificial scarcity through "limited-time sales" of digital products that don't yet exist has been questioned as potentially misleading marketing.
[[File:ASA Response .png|thumb|A response letter from the Advertising Standards Authority affirming that Cloud Imperium Games likely had breached the Advertising Rules. ]]
In 2021, following a consumer complaint to the UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) by a member of the /r/starcitizen_refunds community<ref>https://www.reddit.com/r/starcitizen_refunds/comments/pfgchs/uk_advertising_standards_agency_rule_concept_ship/</ref>, Cloud Imperium Games was required to modify their concept ship marketing emails after the ASA determined they violated Advertising Rules in the UK. The issue centered on emails promoting concept ships without clear disclosure that the advertised vessels did not yet exist in-game. In response, CIG added a standardized disclaimer to their marketing emails stating that concept ships are "being offered here as a limited vehicle concept pledge". The disclaimer also notes that purchasers receive a temporary "loaner vehicle" until their bought ship becomes available.

==Development Status Contradictions==
A notable point of controversy surrounds CIG's inconsistent messaging regarding Star Citizen's development status. When players report persistent bugs, server issues, or gameplay problems, CIG and community moderators frequently emphasize the game's "alpha" status as justification for these issues, suggesting the project is still in early development. However, when faced with questions about delayed delivery of promised features or criticism of continuous sales practices, the company often presents Star Citizen as a delivered, playable product that is simply receiving ongoing development. This contradiction has been particularly evident in legal contexts, where CIG has defended against refund requests by asserting that the base game has been "delivered" to backers, while simultaneously using the alpha designation to deflect criticism about long-standing technical issues and missing core gameplay features promised in the original crowdfunding campaign. The dual narrative has led to growing skepticism within the gaming community about the project's actual development status and CIG's transparency regarding project completion criteria.

==Development Communication Issues==
Squadron 42's "Answer the Call 2017" marketing campaign ended in failure when CIG did not deliver the promised single-player campaign, despite extensive marketing featuring a star-studded cast including Mark Hamill, Gary Oldman, and Gillian Anderson<ref>https://starcitizen.tools/Squadron_42</ref>. Following community backlash over the missed release, CIG announced plans for a new project roadmap in late 2017. However, this evolved into what became known as the "Roadmap to the Roadmap," with a release view being finally available in March of 2018. When finally delivered, the new roadmap consistently showed missed deadlines and delayed features. Rather than address these delays, CIG ultimately discontinued much of the roadmap's progress tracker in February 2022, dismissively labeling concerned backers as "roadmap watchers" <ref>https://robertsspaceindustries.com/spectrum/community/SC/forum/3/thread/roadmap-roundup-february-2nd-2022</ref> and claiming that showing development progress "puts too much attention on features that had a high probability of shifting around" and was "a distraction both internally at CIG and within the community". This marked a significant departure from their previous promises of transparency and was met with substantial community backlash, particularly from backers who had used the roadmap to track progress on features they had purchased years earlier.

==Consumer Response==
[[File:-r-Starcitizen Corruption.png|thumb|CIG Employee Zac Preece asking in a private discord server for a post to be removed from the /r/starcitizen reddit. This post by the account of the reddit moderator Ian (MrRiceGuy) didn't violate the rules yet proceeded to remove said post anyway. ]]
The prolonged development timeline and sales practices have led to organized consumer response movements, notably the /r/starcitizen_refunds subreddit community with over 18,000 members.<ref>https://www.reddit.com/r/starcitizen_refunds/</ref>. This subreddit serves as a platform for dissatisfied backers seeking refunds, documenting development delays, and tracking changes to terms of service that affect consumer rights. Discussion of these issues on official channels is heavily restricted, with CIG's Spectrum forum rules explicitly prohibiting posts deemed to spread "fear, uncertainty, and doubt" (FUD)<ref>https://support.robertsspaceindustries.com/hc/en-us/articles/115013196427-Spectrum-and-Website-Rules-and-Moderation-Responsibilities</ref> and the discussion of support tickets / moderation decisions.

While unofficial communities like the /r/starcitizen subreddit and Discord server exist, these spaces are heavily moderated to prevent discussion of negative sentiment due to strong ties between their moderators and Cloud Imperium Games employees.

As a result, /r/starcitizen_refunds has become the primary platform for maintaining records of unfulfilled promises and providing guidance for others seeking refunds.

==Ingame Moderation Inconsistencies==
[[File:Example of Exessive Griefing .png|thumb|An example of a user being banned for the term 'Excessive Griefing' and being directed to review the terms of service and rules of conduct for a term that doesn't exist. ]]
The moderation practices of Cloud Imperium have drawn criticism for inconsistent and opaque enforcement. Users can receiving bans for "excessive griefing" despite this term having no defined parameters in either the Terms of Service<ref>https://robertsspaceindustries.com/en/tos</ref> or Rules of Conduct<ref>https://support.robertsspaceindustries.com/hc/en-us/articles/4409491235351-Rules-of-Conduct</ref> documentation. Users receive these bans without stated reasons, requiring them to file support tickets to learn of their alleged infractions. This lack of transparency and disconnect between written policies and enforcement has created significant uncertainty about what constitutes acceptable behavior.

Star Citizen's Persistent Universe or PU for short is an open sandbox that allows players to engage in PVP activities such as Piracy and Bounty Hunting yet activity participating in these activities could lead a player to being banned for 'excessively' engaging in this activity under the guise of it being 'harassment' to do so.

===The HuskyPie Incident===
On April 21, 2025, Cloud Imperium Games banned player HuskyPie for 17 days after German content creator Karolinger falsely accused him of stream sniping. The incident occurred in Pyro, a lawless system explicitly for PvP combat. HuskyPie was completing a mercenary mission when he encountered and killed Karolinger twice at Bueno Ravine. Despite having no evidence beyond the streamer's accusations, CIG suspended HuskyPie's account. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0eipkl66-8 As documented in an episode of the "Griefers Pub" podcast], HuskyPie was forced to appeal by providing his own game logs proving he was already at the location on mission objectives and had never watched Karolinger's stream. CIG eventually overturned the ban but offered no apology or explanation. This case directly demonstrates preferential treatment for content creators and shows how regular players can be banned for engaging in permitted gameplay while content creators receive special protection from legitimate game mechanics.

==References==
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Star Citizen]]

GameStop

2025-08-17T21:12:04Z

Silk Weaver: Expanded upon the blurb at the top, including additional information on the founders and the company's history. It is still far from complete however, and will require more work to make adequate.

Epic Games

2025-08-17T20:30:14Z

Silk Weaver: Specified the dates on 2 events using the sources provided for each

{{StubNotice}}{{InfoboxCompany
| Name = Epic Games, Inc.
| Type = Private
| Founded = 1991
| Industry = Video Games
| Official Website = https://epicgames.com/
| Logo = Epicgames.png
}}
'''[[wikipedia:Epic_Games|Epic Games]]''' is a software development and media-publishing company founded in 1991 by [[wikipedia:Tim_Sweeney|Tim Sweeney]]. They are best known for the development of the [[wikipedia:Unreal_Engine|Unreal Engine]] and the popular video game [[wikipedia:Fortnite|Fortnite]]. Epic maintains their own digital software distribution platform, the [[wikipedia:Epic_Games_Store|Epic Games Store]].

==Consumer impact summary==
{{Placeholder box|Overview of concerns that arise from the company's conduct regarding (if applicable):
* User Freedom
* User Privacy
* Business Model
* Market Control}}

==Bad Practices==

===Forced Arbitration===
Epic Games updated their Epic Games Store policy on March 18, 2022 to include forced arbitration in their Terms of Service. The users were required to agree to the new terms in order to continue using the platform. If a user did not agree to the new terms, they were effectively locked out of their library of previously purchased games and software.
[[File:Epic ToS Snippet.png|none|thumb|522x522px|Snippet of Epic Games updated EULA, 18 Mar 2022.]]
==Incidents==

===Removal of titles from storefront===
On December 14th, 2022, Epic Games began delisting 'older' titles from the Epic Games storefront. Among the first to be affected by these removals were owners of various titles within the ''Unreal'' and ''Unreal Tournament'' series, who had their licenses to these games effectively revoked from their accounts, and were thus unable to launch or install them. A statement released by Epic Games on December 14th, 2022 regarding the removal stated that this was done in order to "...move to solely support Epic Online Services with its unified friends system, voice chat features, parental controls, and parental verification features." <ref>https://www.epicgames.com/site/en-US/news/epic-is-turning-off-online-services-and-servers-for-some-older-games</ref> (Editor's note: add a screenshot of UT being grayed out in the launcher!)

A few years later, some titles would make their way to the [[Internet Archive]] for users to freely install, but not all delisted games have been re-published onto the platform.<ref>https://archive.org/details/UT99-Complete-Retail</ref><ref>https://archive.org/details/ut-99</ref><ref>https://archive.org/details/unreal-tournament-complete</ref><ref>https://archive.org/details/ut-goty</ref>

===Removal of Linux and MacOS versions of [[wikipedia:Rocket_League|Rocket League]]===
On January 22nd, 2020, Epic and its subsidiary [[wikipedia:Psyonix|Psyonix]] announced that whilst Rocket League players had purchased the game with full support for Linux and MacOS, this support was being withdrawn and the game would be offline only for these operating systems, and players were directed to play the game on Windows instead.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ending Support for MacOS and Linux |url=https://www.rocketleague.com/en/news/ending-support-for-mac-and-linux}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Rocket League Support for macOS and Linux (SteamOS) |url=https://www.epicgames.com/help/en-US/c-Category_RocketLeague/c-RocketLeague_TechnicalSupport/rocket-league-support-for-macos-and-linux-steamos-a000084314}}</ref> Many speculated that the change was in relation to Psyonix's acquisition by Epic Games several months earlier. At the time of acquisition Epic stated that players "''will still be able to play Rocket League on Steam with all of the content they've previously purchased.''"

===Account requirement for Rocket League===
{{Main|Epic Games forced third party account creation in Rocket League}}
Following the v2.48 patch on January 29th 2025, Rocket League players on Steam were met with an error upon startup of the game, with the user being required to create an Epic Games account before being able to access the game. This change was not mentioned in the patch notes, and was done after the game was moved from Steam to Epic Games Store in 2020.

===Violation of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and usage of dark patterns===
On December 19th, 2022, the FTC announced that it secured agreements that require Epic Games, Inc. to pay a total of $520 million for violating the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and using [[wikipedia:Dark_pattern|dark patterns]] to trick players into making purchases.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Fortnite Video Game Maker Epic Games to Pay More Than Half a Billion Dollars over FTC Allegations of Privacy Violations and Unwanted Charges |url=https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2022/12/fortnite-video-game-maker-epic-games-pay-more-half-billion-dollars-over-ftc-allegations}}</ref>

==References==
<references />
[[Category:Epic Games]]

Brilliant

2025-08-17T20:01:09Z

Silk Weaver: Attempted to optimize the language of the opening blurb at the top, mainly with additions to certain phrases.

{{Incomplete}}

{{InfoboxCompany
| Name = Brilliant
| Type = Private
| Founded = 2012
| Industry = Online education
| Official Website = https://brilliant.org
| Logo = Brilliant logo.png
}}
'''[[wikipedia:Brilliant_(website)|Brilliant]]''' (also known as '''Brilliant.org''') is a website and app operated by '''Brilliant Worldwide, Inc.''' that provides online courses. Brilliant is a for-profit corporation supported by venture capitalists. Brilliant is most known for its sponsored segments in [[YouTube]] videos, where the service is often promoted by presenters who are renowned for their evidence-based points of view, as well as for scrutinizing and refuting pseudoscience and scams.


[[File:Brilliant_content_team.png|thumb|Courses on Brilliant are made by an anonymous “content team”.]]

Brilliant’s courses are formatted similarly to a traditional textbook with the addition of various interactive elements, such as multiple choice quiz questions, videos, and interactive graphs and charts. These interactive elements are one of Brilliant's main selling points, as they set the service apart from traditional textbooks.

[[File:Brilliant_slider.png|thumb|Example problem from one of Brilliant's mathematics courses. ]]

Brilliant does not promote itself as being suitable to a particular audience studying any particular concept, instead acting as a general learning plaform for a self proclaimed wide variety of subjects. Courses on Brilliant introduce basic concepts within each subject, however, they lack independent validation or formal accreditation for their effectiveness.

==Terms of use==

The [[terms of service]] for Brilliant state:<ref>[https://brilliant.org/terms-of-use/ Terms of use]</ref><blockquote>Brilliant reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to modify or replace any of the terms or conditions of this Agreement at any time. It is User's responsibility to check this Agreement periodically for changes. User's continued use of the Service following the posting of any changes to this Agreement constitutes acceptance of those changes.</blockquote>Even if the consumer has paid for a full year of service, Brilliant may change its terms and conditions [[Post-purchase EULA modification|after the sale]]. Continued use of the service automatically constitutes acceptance of the updated terms.

===Access===
Brilliant may revoke a paid customer's access to the service at any time without refund:<blockquote>Brilliant may change, suspend or discontinue the Services, including the availability of any feature, database or content, at any time. Brilliant may also impose limits on certain features and services or restrict User's access to parts or all of the Services without notice or liability.</blockquote>If the law grants the consumer rights that are illegally denied by the terms of use, the consumer is not allowed to access the service:<blockquote>User also certifies that User is legally permitted to use the Service and takes full responsibility for the selection and use of the Service. This Agreement is void where prohibited by law, and the right to access the Service is revoked in such jurisdictions.</blockquote>

===Billing and payment===
The price advertised by Brilliant may not be the actual price a customer is required to pay. The final price includes undisclosed additional taxes:<blockquote>All fees are exclusive of applicable taxes (e.g. sales, use, or value-added tax), unless otherwise stated, and User is solely responsible for the payment of any such taxes that may be imposed on your use of the Service.</blockquote>If a customer cancels their payment card to prevent further charges, Brilliant may directly contact the card issuer to request confidential records for any new card issued to the consumer:<blockquote>User authorizes Brilliant to obtain updated or replacement expiration dates and card numbers for User's credit or debit card as provided by User's credit or debit card issuer.</blockquote>To reiterate, Brilliant may cancel a consumer's access to the service at any time without offering a refund:<blockquote>Except as expressly provided in the “Refunds” section below, all fees are final and nonrefundable (including in the event any features or functions of any service that User has subscribed to are changed, modified, diminished or removed), except as otherwise required by applicable law.</blockquote>

===Automatic renewal===
Brilliant automatically renews user subscriptions without explicit permission from the user. As a result, customers who have lost interest in the service and may have forgotten about it may be unexpectedly billed at the start of a new subscription cycle. The annual subscription cycle also implicitly assumes that users want to use the service continuously for a full year, which ignores use-cases where customers may want only to study at specific times of the year.

When Brilliant lowers its prices, existing customers are still billed at the original, higher prices on renewal, despite being protected from price increases by the same policy:<blockquote>User's subscription to the Service will continue indefinitely until cancelled by User (via the cancellation mechanisms provided on the Site). After User's initial subscription period, and again after any subsequent subscription period, User's subscription will automatically continue for an additional equivalent period, at the price User agreed to when subscribing.</blockquote>By using the service, the user is automatically opted in for automatic renewal, and there is no option to opt out:<blockquote>User agrees that User's account will be subject to this automatic renewal feature.</blockquote>Since the creation of this article, Brilliant has since updated this section of the Terms and Conditions: <blockquote>User's subscription to the Service will continue indefinitely until cancelled by User (via the cancellation mechanisms provided on the Site). After User's initial subscription period, and again after any subsequent subscription period, User's subscription will automatically continue for an additional equivalent period, at the price User agreed to when subscribing. User agrees that User's account will be subject to this automatic renewal feature. If User does not wish User's account to renew automatically, or if User wants to change or terminate User's subscription, please sign in and go to the Change / Cancel Membership page. If User cancels a subscription, User may use such subscription until the end of then-current subscription term and the subscription will not be renewed thereafter.</blockquote>This section continues to explain methods for canceling the automatic renewal as well as specifying that cancellation requests must be submitted at least one business day before the end of the subscription period <ref name=":0" />. The subscription itself authorizes Brilliant to periodically charge customers' credit cards for automatic renewal, again including undisclosed additional taxes:<blockquote>By subscribing, User authorizes Brilliant to charge User's credit card, debit card or other payment method at such time and again at the beginning of any subsequent subscription period, including any sales or similar taxes imposed on User's subscription payments.</blockquote>Since this article was started, Brilliant has added a foot note below the "Subscribe Now" button that clarifies that auto-renew is on by default<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Brilliant |date=2025-07-14 |title=Unlock the full Brilliant experience |url=https://brilliant.org/subscribe/ |url-status=live}}</ref>, stating: "*Billed as one payment. Renews annually, cancel anytime. You can turn off auto-renew from your settings".

===Refunds===
Brilliant may grant refunds to customers at its sole discretion:<blockquote>All payments To Brilliant for the Services are nonrefundable. There are no refunds or credits for partially used subscription periods. However, Brilliant may grant refunds or credits on a case-by-case basis at Brilliant’s sole discretion. Brilliant’s grant of a refund or credit in one instance does not obligate Brilliant to provide a refund or credit in the future, under any circumstances.</blockquote>

===Promotions===
The seven-day free trial is a [[Click-to-cancel#Free-to-pay|free-to-pay]] scheme: a one-year paid subscription with a seven-day cancellation period:<blockquote>Brilliant may offer promotions, such as free trials, discounts, or other special offers, to users from time to time (collectively, “Promotions”). Promotions may be subject to specific terms, including a defined period during which the Promotion must be redeemed and utilized (each, a “Promotion Period”). Unless otherwise stated, any use of a Promotion will automatically convert into a paid subscription for the Services upon the expiration of the Promotional Period. Users are responsible for canceling their subscription before the end of the Promotional Period to avoid incurring any charges (or, in the case of a discount Promotion, to avoid additional charges). Failure to cancel within the Promotional Period will result in the applicable subscription fee being charged to the payment method provided at the time of sign-up or as updated by User.</blockquote>According to a [[wikipedia:CNET|CNET]] survey concerning the utilization of subscription services, “A total of 48% of respondents said they had signed up for a free trial of a paid subscription and then forgot to cancel it.”<ref>[https://www.cnet.com/personal-finance/subscription-creep-is-real-consumers-are-paying-over-1000-each-year-cnet-survey-finds/ 'Subscription Creep' Is Real. Consumers Are Paying Over $1,000 Each Year, CNET Survey Finds]</ref>

===Site content===
Under the Site Content section, Brilliant lays out what is considered "fair use" of their content. This has the potential for abuse as their definition of "Content" includes anything that Brilliant has on their website or sends to you directly. This could include lessons or other media they provide to you, but also includes logos, their name, or virtually anything known publicly about the company that they provide on their website, and in the terms specifically state that "public display" and "publicly perform" are included as copy written material. This could be potentially leveraged as a way to use copyright to suppress sharing information and user reviews, as the only way to use their "content" is with express written permission<ref>{{Cite web |last=Brilliant |date=2025-07-14 |title=Terms of Use |url=https://brilliant.org/terms-of-use/ |url-status=live}}</ref>. <blockquote>User agrees that all content and materials (collectively, "Content") delivered via the Service or otherwise made available by Brilliant at the Site are protected by copyrights, trademarks, service marks, patents, trade secrets or other proprietary rights and laws. Except as expressly authorized by Brilliant in writing, User agrees not to sell, license, rent, modify, distribute, copy, reproduce, transmit, publicly display, publicly perform, publish, adapt, edit or create derivative works from such materials or content. Reproducing, copying or distributing any content, materials or design elements on the Site for any purpose is strictly prohibited without the express prior written permission of Brilliant.</blockquote>When searching for dissenting opinions about Brilliant on YouTube reviews do come up, however finding sources with no incentives to lean one way or another was difficult. Many videos by various creators come up, but most made it clear in the descriptions of the videos that they were sponsored by Brilliant or gave softball criticisms that were walked back. One video by Wiggle was the only truly negative review that was found, but as of writing this he has 787 subscribers, so it is unclear if this video would have garnished enough attention to be noticed by Brilliant's legal team. Wiggle goes on to say that "the idea is not to teach anything, but make you feel like you're learning a lot"<ref>{{Cite web |last=Wiggle |date=2024-08-09 |title=Is Brilliant.org A Scam? |url=https://youtu.be/mzNYsPuEsRI?si=FF0mr0kTsuC0qAQ- |access-date=2025-07-14 |website=YouTube}}</ref>, a far more critical statement than any other videos reviewed. It is also worth noting that most videos reviewed for this were not written by experts or people very familiar with the topics covered, and these videos praised Brilliant for it's easy to learn topics. The lack of expert or negative reviews could be seen as suspicious, however no evidence was found of Brilliant actively removing dissenting opinions. 

===Termination===
Brilliant may revoke access to the service that a customer has paid for at any time, without explanation:<blockquote>Brilliant may terminate User's access to all or any part of the Service at any time, with or without cause, effective upon notice thereof to User (provided that, if Brilliant determines there may be an immediate threat to Brilliant, it may terminate such access without notice).</blockquote>

===Mixed-jurisdiction forced arbitration===
Local consumer rights may not apply to this agreement. According to the terms of service, with respect to their agreement with Brilliant, customers are governed by the laws of Pennsylvania, but not to its ''courts'', instead agreeing to submit to the jurisdiction of the courts in California.<blockquote>This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the state of Pennsylvania, as if made within Pennsylvania between two residents thereof, and the parties submit to the exclusive jurisdiction and venue of the state and Federal courts located in San Francisco, California.</blockquote>Customers forfeit their right to pursue legal action, instead being subject to [[forced arbitration]] by a private company:<blockquote>Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, (but without limiting either party's right to seek injunctive or other equitable relief immediately, at any time, in any court of competent jurisdiction), any disputes arising with respect to this Agreement shall be settled by arbitration in accordance with the rules and procedures of the Judicial Arbitration and Mediation Service, Inc. ("JAMS"). The arbitrator shall be selected by joint agreement of the parties. In the event the parties cannot agree on an arbitrator within thirty (30) days of the initiating party providing the other party with written notice that it plans to seek arbitration, the parties shall each select an arbitrator affiliated with JAMS, which arbitrators shall jointly select a third such arbitrator to resolve the dispute. The written decision of the arbitrator shall be final and binding on the parties and enforceable in any court. The arbitration proceeding shall take place in San Francisco, California, using the English language.</blockquote>

==References==
<references />
[[Category:Brilliant]]

Flat Earth Clock App

2025-08-17T19:31:43Z

Silk Weaver: Optimized the language a bit, attempting to make the writing less repetitive.

{{InfoboxProductLine
| Title = {{PAGENAME}}
| Release Year =2016
| Product Type =Mobile Social Network
| In Production =Yes
| Official Website =https://flatearthdave.com/
| Logo =Flatearthclockapp.jpg
}}
"'''{{PAGENAME}}'''" is a social network created by David Weiss. It is intended to be a replacement for the traditional apps for time and weather. The app's main target demographic are individuals that believe in the [[wikipedia:Flat_Earth|flat earth conspiracy theory]].

The app provides users with a clock that showcases how the day/night cycle progresses on a Flat earth, as well as serve as a platform for content that reinforces users' belief in a flat Earth.

The application is available in the Google Play Store<ref>Flat Earth Clock app in the [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.flatearthsun&referrer=utm_source Google Play Store]</ref> and Apple's App Store<ref>Flat Earth Sun, Moon & Zodiac in the [https://apps.apple.com/us/app/flat-earth-sun-moon-zodiac/id1440996640 Apple App Store]</ref> for a one time payment of $3, with the in-app option to subscribe for a "friend finder feature". It has been reported multiple times for major breaches of security<ref>https://haveibeenpwned.com/PwnedWebsites#FlatEarthDave</ref> and privacy, misinformation about collected data, and breaches of EU and US regulations.

==Consumer Impacts==

*Major violations in privacy regulations in the US and the EU
*Data breaches spanning over multiple years, including some that published all usernames, emails, locations, and plaintext passwords.
*Publishing of real-time locations (latitude/longitude) of all registered users without consent.

==Consumer impact summary==
Exposure of sensitive data due to breaches, and real time location made public by design.

==Incidents==
===Security breach===
An incomplete list of past security breaches was compiled years ago, mostly neglected by the app creator or used to gain more media traction by denouncing the individuals who communicated to him about the app's shortcomings.

On February 7, 2025, an organization called GlobeSec published a summary of the app's past security breaches on Github<ref>[https://github.com/globesec/flatearthsun_public Release of a list of issues on Github]</ref>. David Weiss publicly denounced the individuals who communicated the app's shortcomings to him. After three years of the creator's non-compliance, a 90 day warning period was given.{{Citation needed|reason=Sentence references unclear parties|date=August 2025}}

"McToon", a conspiracy theory debunker on YouTube and a developer, posted a video detailing some of the shortcomings and issues.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grjDlOIdf5Q a video detailing some of the shortcomings and issues]</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]
[[Category:Articles in need of additional work]]
[[Category:Articles requiring change in tone]]
[[Category:Software]]

Dark pattern

2025-08-17T19:01:38Z

Silk Weaver: /* Types and examples of dark patterns */ Added list items to the section on dark patterns in video games and made minor language optimizations.

{{Incomplete}}

Dark Patterns, also referred to as Deceptive Patterns, are deceptive design practices used in websites, applications, or digital interfaces to manipulate users into making decisions that benefit the organization implementing them, often at the expense of the user’s best interests.<ref>Brignull, H., Leiser, M., Santos, C., & Doshi, K. (2023, April 25). Deceptive patterns – user interfaces designed to trick you. deceptive.design. Retrieved May 23, 2025, from https://www.deceptive.design/</ref> Coined by user-experience (UX) specialist Harry Brignull in 2010, the term has since become a critical focus in consumer advocacy, as these practices undermine transparency and user autonomy.

==Types and examples of dark patterns==
Dark patterns can be found across multiple industries and platforms. While some examples overlap or share common tactics, they all rely on manipulation and deception to achieve their goals. Listed below are notable types:

*'''[[Post-purchase EULA modification]]''': Critical [[End-user license agreement|end-user license agreements]] (EULAs) are hidden or presented only after purchase, making it difficult for users to review terms before committing. These agreements may be located inside packaging, under a lid, or displayed upon initial activation, limiting informed consent. This tactic overlaps with "forced continuity" and "roach motel" practices.

*'''Forced continuity''': Users are charged for a subscription or service after a free trial without adequate warning or an easy cancellation option.

*'''Roach motel''': Users can easily sign up for a service or subscription but will find it extremely difficult to cancel.

*'''Hidden costs''': Additional charges are revealed only at the final stages of a transaction, after users have already invested significant time.<ref>Brignull, H., Leiser, M., Santos, C., & Doshi, K. (2023, April 25). Deceptive patterns – Hidden Costs. deceptive.design. Retrieved May 23, 2025, from https://www.deceptive.design/types/hidden-costs</ref>

*'''Sneak into basket''': Items or services are automatically added to a shopping cart without explicit consent.

*'''Confirmshaming''': Users are guilt-tripped into taking a particular action by framing alternative options unfavorably (e.g., "No, I don’t want to save money").<ref>Brignull, H., Leiser, M., Santos, C., & Doshi, K. (2023, April 25). Deceptive patterns – Confirmshaming. deceptive.design. Retrieved May 23, 2025, from https://www.deceptive.design/types/confirmshaming</ref>

*'''Privacy Zuckering''': Tricking users into sharing more personal information than intended, often through misleading privacy settings or pre-checked consent boxes.

*'''Disguised ads''': Ads are designed to look like native content or legitimate interface elements, tricking users into clicking.<ref>Brignull, H., Leiser, M., Santos, C., & Doshi, K. (2023, April 25). Deceptive patterns – Disguised ads. deceptive.design. Retrieved May 23, 2025, from https://www.deceptive.design/types/disguised-ads</ref>

*'''Trick wording''': Misleading language to elicit unintended responses from users.<ref>Brignull, H., Leiser, M., Santos, C., & Doshi, K. (2023, April 25). Deceptive patterns – Trick wording. deceptive.design. Retrieved May 23, 2025, from https://www.deceptive.design/types/trick-wording</ref>

*'''[[Fear of missing out]] (FOMO)''': The use of time-limited availability to instill a sense of urgency in users, causing them to devote more time or money in order to acquire a product, service, or digital item. This tactic overlaps with "misleading scarcity message" practices.

*'''Misleading scarcity messages''': Phrases like "Only 3 left in stock!" or "Offer expires in 10 minutes" are displayed to create a false sense of urgency, even when the product is widely available.

*'''Friend spam''': Users are encouraged to share personal information about their friends or contacts, which is then used for unsolicited marketing.

*'''Default-settings exploitation''': Options that benefit the company are pre-selected, such as extensive data sharing or auto-renewal of subscriptions.<ref name="edpb">European Data Protection Board. (2023). Deceptive design patterns in social media platform interfaces: how to recognise and avoid them (EDPB). European Data Protection Board. https://www.edpb.europa.eu/system/files/2023-02/edpb_03-2022_guidelines_on_deceptive_design_patterns_in_social_media_platform_interfaces_v2_en_0.pdf</ref>

*'''Obstruction''': Simple tasks are made unnecessarily complicated, such as requiring users to navigate multiple steps to cancel a subscription or delete an account.<ref>Brignull, H., Leiser, M., Santos, C., & Doshi, K. (2023, April 25). Deceptive patterns – Obstruction. deceptive.design. Retrieved May 23, 2025, from https://www.deceptive.design/types/obstruction</ref>
*'''[[Bait-and-switch|Bait and Switch]]''': A user sets out to do one thing, but a different outcome happens instead. For example, clicking a button that says “Download” initiates a purchase instead.
*'''Forced Action (a.k.a. Forced Engagement):''' Users are required to perform an unrelated task to proceed - for example, making an account or subscribing to a newsletter just to access basic content or features.<ref>Brignull, H., Leiser, M., Santos, C., & Doshi, K. (2023, April 25). Deceptive patterns – Forced action. deceptive.design. Retrieved May 23, 2025, from https://www.deceptive.design/types/forced-action</ref>
*'''Misdirection:''' Attention is purposefully drawn to one element to distract from another - often used to downplay important opt-outs, costs, or alternatives.
*'''Visual Interference:''' Design elements such as misleading colours, button sizes, or placements make it hard for users to make informed choices (e.g., greyed-out opt-outs that are still clickable).<ref>Brignull, H., Leiser, M., Santos, C., & Doshi, K. (2023, April 25). Deceptive patterns – Visual interference. deceptive.design. Retrieved May 23, 2025, from https://www.deceptive.design/types/visual-interference</ref>
*'''Gamification for Manipulation:''' Using badges, streaks, or points to incentivize continued use or spending, beyond what’s rational or in the user’s best interest.
*'''Nagging:''' Repeatedly prompting the user to take an action that is potentially detrimental to the user - e.g., “Are you sure you don’t want notifications?” shown on every login.<ref>Brignull, H., Leiser, M., Santos, C., & Doshi, K. (2023, April 25). Deceptive patterns – Nagging. deceptive.design. Retrieved May 23, 2025, from https://www.deceptive.design/types/nagging</ref>
*'''Hidden Subscription (a variant of Forced Continuity):''' The cost and terms of a subscription are hidden during sign-up or obscured in fine print, often leading users to unknowingly commit to recurring charges.<ref>Brignull, H., Leiser, M., Santos, C., & Doshi, K. (2023, April 25). Deceptive patterns – Hidden subscription. deceptive.design. Retrieved May 23, 2025, from https://www.deceptive.design/types/hidden-subscription</ref>
*'''Price Comparison Prevention:''' Limiting a user’s ability to compare prices across competitors - e.g., by using unique product names or obscuring base pricing models.<ref>Brignull, H., Leiser, M., Santos, C., & Doshi, K. (2023, April 25). Deceptive patterns – Comparison prevention. deceptive.design. Retrieved May 23, 2025, from https://www.deceptive.design/types/comparison-prevention</ref>
*'''Intermittent Rewards:''' Randomised rewards (like loot boxes or algorithmic content feeds) are designed to mimic gambling patterns from games in which players wager and encourage compulsive behaviour.
*'''Trick Timers:''' Timers that restart or extend themselves after expiring to simulate urgency and encourage immediate decisions based on false time pressure.

===Widespread examples===
{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"
!Example
!Types of dark patterns
!Description
|-
|Google Chrome
Ad settings
| - Default-settings exploitation
- Misdirection
|After installing Google Chrome, the user gets asked to check the "ad privacy" settings. There are 3 options in this menu, each with a toggle hidden inside a sub-menu. The first one (ad topics) is disabled by default, while the other 2 start off enabled. This can trick some users into assuming that all of the toggles are disabled by default after seeing the first one.
|}

==Dark patterns in games==
A gaming dark pattern is something that is deliberately added to a game to cause an unwanted negative experience for the player with a positive outcome for the game developer.<ref>{{Cite web |title=DarkPattern.Games |url=https://www.darkpattern.games/ |access-date=2025-07-10 |website=Dark Pattern Games}}</ref>

*'''Temporal Dark Patterns:''' A temporal dark pattern is designed to get you to spend more time playing the game than you would have otherwise.
**'''Playing by Appointment:''' Being forced to play according to the game's schedule instead of yours.
**'''Daily Rewards:''' Encourages return visits every day and punishes you for missing a day.
**'''Playtime Limitations:''' Artificial limitations on playtime (such as through systems with recharging "Energy" or "Lives") build habitual play, when a player would otherwise burn themselves out through extensive play in the moment.
*'''Monetary Dark Patterns:''' A monetary dark pattern is one which tricks you into spending more money than you want to spend on a game.
**'''Currency Obfuscation:''' Exchange rate between real money and in-game currency disguises the real price of items. Hiding the true amount being spent.
**'''Premium Currency Hostage Cycle:''' Never allowing users to get their balance down to zero, resulting in small amounts of left over premium currency that can't be used without spending more. Always trapping an amount that cannot be used in an endless cycle. A real world example of this dark pattern was used in the Starbucks coffee app.<ref>{{Cite web |first= |date=2024-01-03 |title=A new complaint claims Starbucks’ app traps customers in a cycle of spending |url=https://www.fastcompany.com/91004280/complaint-starbucks-app-spending-cycle |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240103063608/https://www.fastcompany.com/91004280/complaint-starbucks-app-spending-cycle |archive-date=2024-01-03 |access-date=2025-07-10 |website=Fast Company}}</ref>
**'''Free Rewards in Store:''' Users will be given the ability to claim free rewards, but will have to enter the in-game store to claim them. This is often made a daily reward to desensitize the user to said store, and make them less inclined to think twice about purchasing paid goods within it.
**'''Lowball Offers:''' New users will be given in-game offers for extremely low prices to get them to make a first purchase, which will incline them to purchase again in the future even as the prices of future offers increase incrementally.
**'''Premium Currency Web:''' Several or sometimes many different premium currencies are made to all pay for distinct goods, often without a way to exchange them between each other. This ensures repeated payment across many different parts of the game, and further abstracts the amount of money spent on said game.
*'''Social Dark Patterns:''' Social dark patterns use your relationships with friends and family to benefit the game.
**'''Social Pyramid Scheme:''' You get a bonus for inviting your friends and then they have to invite their friends.
*'''Psychological Dark Patterns:''' These dark patterns are psychological tricks that are used to get you to make bad decisions.
**'''Limited Time Offers:''' Certain digital goods are only offered for a limited time, then never offered again after an explicitly stated expiration date. This induces the Fear Of Missing Out (FOMO), artificial scarcity, and leverages the allure of exclusivity all at the same time to strongly incentivize a purchase.
*'''Combinatory Dark Patterns:''' These dark patterns are some combination of the types listed above, using multiple tactics for several purposes at once.
**'''Pay to Grind:''' Rewards are offered to the user behind a paywall that are not guaranteed, and that they must earn through repeated gameplay, daily logins, or other cyclical actions. Said user can just not be given what they supposedly "paid" for should they fail to meet the stated requirements. A popular example of this is the "Battle Pass".
**'''Recursive Rewards:''' Rewards are given for redeeming, earning, or purchasing other rewards to make the user feel better than they would with just receiving the initial rewards in isolation.

==Why dark patterns are problematic==
Dark patterns are more than just unethical design choices. They have real-world consequences for consumers and society. Key concerns include:

*'''Erosion of trust''': Users lose confidence in platforms that manipulate their choices, undermining long-term loyalty.
*'''Financial loss''': Consumers often incur unexpected charges or fees, because of deceptive practices.
*'''Privacy violations''': Trickery in consent-gathering leads to the misuse or overcollection of personal data.
*'''Exploitation of vulnerability''': Vulnerable populations are disproportionately affected, such as children, those with limited digital literacy, and/or inclincations towards forming addictions.

===Regulatory efforts===
Governments and consumer-protection organizations are increasingly scrutinizing dark patterns. Key developments include:

*'''[[California Privacy Rights Act]] (CPRA)''': Prohibits the use of deceptive designs to obtain consent for data collection.
*'''[[General Data Protection Regulation|EU General Data Protection Regulation]] (GDPR)''': Mandates that consent be informed and freely given, effectively targeting privacy zuckering.
*'''[[Federal Trade Commission]] (FTC)''': In the U.S., the FTC has taken action against companies employing dark patterns, including fines and enforcement actions.

===Combating dark patterns===
Consumers and designers can take steps to identify and combat dark patterns by:

*'''Raising awareness''': Educating users about common dark patterns helps them make informed decisions.
*'''Transparent design principles''': Advocating for ethical design practices that prioritize user autonomy and clarity.
*'''Policy advocacy''': Supporting stronger regulatory frameworks to hold organizations accountable for deceptive practices.
*'''Third-party tools''': Using browser extensions and tools designed to block or highlight manipulative elements.
*'''Speaking up:''' Calling out these practices as needed serves to both raise awareness and push companies to do better.

===Conclusion===
Dark patterns undermine the principles of fair commerce and user empowerment, exploiting human psychology for profit. As awareness grows, collaboration among consumers, designers, and regulators will be essential to curb their prevalence and ensure digital spaces remain transparent, trustworthy, and healthy for everyone.

==References==
<references />
[[Category:Anti-Consumer_Practices]]
[[Category:Common terms]]