dark patterns

Dark patterns refer to visual or functional tweaks designed to manipulate our behavior. Whether we’re signing up for auto-renewals, engaging with an ad, or panic-booking a hotel ('35 people are looking at this room!’- uh no, they’re not).

Historical perspective: According to a civil lawsuit filed by the Federal Trade Commission in 2023, Amazon customers were required to make their way through a four-page, six-click, 15-option process just to cancel a $14.99-per-month Prime membership. On the other hand, signing up for Prime requires only one or two clicks.
NetLingo Classification: Online Business

Updates