A new study from the Federal Trade Commission looks at the “dark patterns” that subscription apps and websites use to get more money or data from their users.
“Dark pattern” is actually the term used in the FTC report, and it refers to manipulative design techniques that are supposed to make users do something they might not otherwise do or pay for something they might otherwise pay for. Though they’re not necessarily illegal, they’re ethically questionable — and it’s good to be aware of them.
So the FTC says that earlier this year, it looked at 642 websites and apps that offer subscriptions and it found that nearly 76 percent of them used at least one dark pattern, while nearly 67 percent used more than one.
These dark patterns include sneaking (where an app hides the ability to cancel a subscription or turn off auto-renewal), obstruction (making it more difficult to perform a certain action, such as canceling), nagging (exactly what it sounds like), and others.
Hit play to learn more, then let us know what you think in the comments!
