12.07.2024 15:59:00
Дата публикации
The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) together with international consumer protection authorities conducted a study on the use of “dark patterns”.
These are methods of manipulative design of applications, websites and online services that encourage users to take actions that they would not have taken without such influence. These methods also compromise their privacy.
The study analyzed 642 websites and apps offering subscription services and found that 76% of them used at least one manipulative pattern, and 67% used more than one.
For example, Match, a large company that owns online dating services, was held liable for fraudulent practices related to the difficulty of canceling a subscription.
The FTC report lists several types of the most common manipulative patterns:
• Stealth: difficulty disabling auto-renewal of paid subscriptions.
• Barriers: Making the process of canceling a subscription more difficult.
• Nagging: constant requests for action, such as access to your contacts.
• Enforcement: Requires you to provide payment information for a free trial.
• Social proof: encouraging a purchase or subscription by creating “buzz” around a product or service.
• Interface Intervention: Manipulative design of the interface of applications and services to entice the user not to miss the “good deal”.
One example of secrecy is the inability to disable auto-renewal of subscriptions during registration. The study showed that 81% of services used this method.
Obstacles include the use of gray icons to close offers, making it difficult for users to navigate away from unwanted pages.
Manipulative patterns can not only induce users to take actions, but also threaten their privacy. For example, request data (email, phone) under the pretext of providing access to certain functions.
The FTC also mentioned that dark patterns, such as social proof, are used to influence user behavior by showing how many other people are currently viewing or purchasing the same product, which is especially common in the e-commerce industry.
The report highlights the need for increased attention to dark patterns to ensure consumer protection and create a more transparent and fair environment for all users of Internet services.
(text translation is carried out automatically)
These are methods of manipulative design of applications, websites and online services that encourage users to take actions that they would not have taken without such influence. These methods also compromise their privacy.
The study analyzed 642 websites and apps offering subscription services and found that 76% of them used at least one manipulative pattern, and 67% used more than one.
For example, Match, a large company that owns online dating services, was held liable for fraudulent practices related to the difficulty of canceling a subscription.
The FTC report lists several types of the most common manipulative patterns:
• Stealth: difficulty disabling auto-renewal of paid subscriptions.
• Barriers: Making the process of canceling a subscription more difficult.
• Nagging: constant requests for action, such as access to your contacts.
• Enforcement: Requires you to provide payment information for a free trial.
• Social proof: encouraging a purchase or subscription by creating “buzz” around a product or service.
• Interface Intervention: Manipulative design of the interface of applications and services to entice the user not to miss the “good deal”.
One example of secrecy is the inability to disable auto-renewal of subscriptions during registration. The study showed that 81% of services used this method.
Obstacles include the use of gray icons to close offers, making it difficult for users to navigate away from unwanted pages.
Manipulative patterns can not only induce users to take actions, but also threaten their privacy. For example, request data (email, phone) under the pretext of providing access to certain functions.
The FTC also mentioned that dark patterns, such as social proof, are used to influence user behavior by showing how many other people are currently viewing or purchasing the same product, which is especially common in the e-commerce industry.
The report highlights the need for increased attention to dark patterns to ensure consumer protection and create a more transparent and fair environment for all users of Internet services.
(text translation is carried out automatically)
