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 ...

Dark patterns are special tricks used in the interface of applications and websites that make you do things that you don’t really want to. For example, when you land on a website and have to sign up ...

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 ...

If you’ve ever found yourself struggling to cancel an online subscription, or to deactivate an account on a website, you may have fallen prey to ‘dark patterns’. The Advertising Standards Authority ...

You're on the checkout page when something appears in your shopping basket that you didn't put there--say, you're buying a laptop, but insurance sneaks in, too, unless you uncheck a box. Or you think ...

Dark patterns have been a recent regulatory focus. The FTC issued an enforcement policy late last year, and the European Data Protection Board followed suit with guidelines this spring. The two have ...

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 ...

The use of dark patterns in UX/UI has become so prevalent that earlier this year, legislators in California and Colorado took action. Now, what has commonly been considered a design issue is a legal ...

“Dark patterns are design features used to deceive, steer, or manipulate users into behavior that is profitable for an entity offering a product or service, but they are often harmful to users.”—Rohit ...

Depending on your income, there’s a good chance you can file your taxes online for free. Over the years, however, a handful of tax prep companies have misled millions of consumers by hiding this ...