Glossary term
Dark Patterns
Subject: Compliance and Regulation, Conduct and Consumer Protection
Also known as: Deceptive Design
Dark patterns are online interface designs that steer, trick or pressure users into choices they would not otherwise make, such as buying extras, sharing data or staying subscribed.
Explanation
The design is often subtle. Common forms include pre-ticked boxes, a bright button to accept beside a faded link to decline, countdown timers that are not real, fees revealed only at the last step, subscriptions that are easy to start and hard to cancel, and wording that shames users who refuse. They exploit habit and limited attention rather than informed choice. Regulators now name them in rules. Consumer authorities treat many as unfair or misleading practices, and data protection regulators treat them as undermining valid consent. The EU's Digital Services Act restricts them on online platforms, and India issued guidelines on them in 2023. Compliance teams review sign-up, consent and cancellation journeys together with design and product staff. Tests with real users often reveal more than the designers' stated intentions.
Example
A streaming service lets users start a free trial in one click but requires a phone call during office hours to cancel. Complaints about unexpected charges climb. A compliance review compares the two journeys and finds the imbalance. The service adds a cancel button to the account page, sends a reminder before the trial ends and stores a consent record for each step.
Not to be confused with
- Nudge
- A nudge steers people towards a choice that benefits them and leaves opting out easy; a dark pattern steers them against their interest.