Dark patterns, also known as deceptive design or deceptive patterns, are essentially tricks. Websites and apps use dark patterns to manipulate users into making decisions they wouldn’t have otherwise ...

Some business practices on the internet may not be against the law, but they undermine or manipulate consumer choice. Legal advocates have coined a new name for this practice: dark patterns. Difficult ...

Tech companies, subscription apps and e-commerce sites have for years used subtle tricks to nudge people toward a decision or purchase they might not otherwise make. There's even a name for the ...

MORE. IT’S A TERM THAT’S BEEN USED IN THE ONLINE WORLD FOR A FEW YEARS NOW, BUT NOW FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION IS TRYING TO SHINE SOME LIGHT ON WHAT ARE KNOWN AS DARK PATTERNS USE TO TRICK YOU INTO ...

Stemming from a public workshop the FTC hosted in April 2021, the report, “Bringing Dark Patterns to Light,” uses examples and illustrations to catalog and criticize numerous commonly seen practices ...

The European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) went into effect in May 2018 to give users more transparency into and control over their personal data. A key component is that companies ...

“When it comes to the digital sphere, we want to make it fair. It’s shocking that on average 60% of websites did not comply with basic consumer rules between 2007 and 2019…. This is why we want to ...

Nick is a Features author who's been writing for fellow tech geeks since 2011. While he's mostly focused on phones, he's also thrilled by cameras and audio gear of all shapes and sizes. On weekends, ...

Even if you’ve never heard the term “dark pattern” before, you’ve likely come across one. Consumer Reports provides a list of examples in a tweet, and on the tip line’s site, but there are entire ...

We have all encountered them, in both our personal and professional lives. Think about the times you felt tricked or frustrated by a membership or subscription that had a seamless signup process but ...