Dark pattern: Difference between revisions
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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 | 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== | ==Types and examples of dark patterns== | ||
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*'''Sneak into basket''': Items or services are automatically added to a shopping cart without explicit consent. | *'''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 | *'''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. | *'''Privacy Zuckering''': Tricking users into sharing more personal information than intended, often through misleading privacy settings or pre-checked consent boxes. | ||
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*'''Misdirection:''' Attention is purposefully drawn to one element to distract from another - often used to downplay important opt-outs, costs, or alternatives. | *'''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> | *'''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 | *'''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 | *'''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> | *'''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 | *'''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:''' | *'''Intermittent Rewards:''' Randomized 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. | *'''Trick Timers:''' Timers that restart or extend themselves after expiring to simulate urgency and encourage immediate decisions based on false time pressure. | ||
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==Dark patterns in games== | ==Dark patterns in video 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> | 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> | ||
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*'''Monetary Dark Patterns:''' A monetary dark pattern is one which tricks you into spending more money than you want to spend on a game. | *'''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. | **'''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 | **'''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. | **'''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. | **'''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. | ||
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**'''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. | **'''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. | *'''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 | **'''Pay to Grind:''' Rewards are offered to the user behind a paywall that are not guaranteed, and that they must earn through repeated game play, 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. | **'''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. | ||
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*'''Erosion of trust''': Users lose confidence in platforms that manipulate their choices, undermining long-term loyalty. | *'''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. | *'''Financial loss''': Consumers often incur unexpected charges or fees, because of deceptive practices. | ||
*'''Privacy violations''': Trickery in consent-gathering leads to the misuse or | *'''Privacy violations''': Trickery in consent-gathering leads to the misuse or over-collection of personal data. | ||
*'''Exploitation of vulnerability''': Vulnerable populations are disproportionately affected, such as children, those with limited digital literacy, and/or | *'''Exploitation of vulnerability''': Vulnerable populations are disproportionately affected, such as children, those with limited digital literacy, and/or inclinations towards forming addictions. | ||
===Regulatory efforts=== | ===Regulatory efforts=== | ||
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==References== | ==References== | ||
{{Reflist}} | |||
[[Category:Anti-Consumer_Practices]] | [[Category:Anti-Consumer_Practices]] | ||
[[Category:Common terms]] | [[Category:Common terms]] | ||