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Thanks to our R&D Lab, our multi disciplinary team of neuroscience experts, UX designers and lawyers identified the various criteria to look at for each different dark pattern. For example, is there a privacy-invasive default setting, is there a good purchased without a specific click, is there obfuscating language, etc.
Our assessment method is based on the 16 existing dark patterns taxonomies, the corresponding academic literature, and our new taxonomy.
You have a doubt or just want a sanity check? Our experts are ready!
We’re fully autonomous to detect dark patterns, but we’re not a law firm and don’t provide legal advice. Bird & Bird LLP is a leading global law firm, with 1700+ attorneys and offices in 30 countries. Many of its practices are ranked Tier 1 in the EMEA and/or the UK, including Privacy & Data Protection, E-commerce and Digital.
We’ve been teaming up with Bird & Bird since 2019, serving their clients in need of a privacy policy redesign. Building on this trust, we created a partnership on dark patterns, where we would provide all the technical analysis (UX, language, number of clicks, navigation etc) and they provide the legal advice.
We’ve created 25 fair patterns based on our R&D Lab and our new taxonomy, that can be easily integrated into your website or app:
-fair cookie banners
-fair purchasing funnels
-fair subscription funnels
-fair consent forms
-fair terms and conditions
-fair privacy policies
….
Bet on transparency, clarity and fairness by design!
Award-winning methodology that leverages plain language, human-centricity, taking into account humans’ cognitive limitations and awesome UX design. Our fair patterns create a great Legal UX and empower users to make enlightened and free choices.
Since 2018, we’ve been creating tailored fair patterns through a methodology called legal design: a human-centric problem-solving innovation method, bridging the gap between the law and its users.
We combine user research, neurosciences, plain language, fast prototyping & user testing, all the facets of design and Magic Circle legal expertise to transform legalease, obscure interfaces into fair patterns.
Our deliverables are award-winning innovations, creating both short-term and long-term value: number of calls to client support divided by 5, +92% understanding of privacy policies, 95% adoption rate.
Check out our deliverables: the first inclusive and sustainable privacy policy, other privacy-enhancing design, fair and empowering T&C’s, age-appropriate community terms..
We’ve been creating fair patterns since 2018, offering training in legal innovation by design and teaching at leading universities such as Sciences Po Paris and Singapore Management University. Our multi-disciplinary team of designers, lawyers, experts in neurosciences and DPOs created dedicated training to avoid dark patterns:
Dark Patterns 101: for all stakeholders, to understand the concept, the legal framework and the main harms caused by dark patterns.
Dark Patterns 102: for all stakeholders, to learn how to spot dark patterns in their daily work, and have compelling business-oriented arguments to remedy them
Dark Patterns 103: specific course for designers, to learn how to avoid creating dark patterns while fulfilling their business mission
Dark Patterns 104: specific course for developers, to learn how to avoid creating dark patterns while fulfilling their business mission
Dark Patterns 105: specific course for digital marketers to learn how to avoid creating dark patterns while fulfilling their business mission
Dark Patterns 106: course for advanced users to train their own teams and build more impact through fair patterns
Want to change things but don’t know where to start? We’re here to help!
Register to one of our training workshops.
Whether you’re just discovering the issue
or are more advanced, there is one for
you.
We’re also developing online training
resources, coming soon!
We want to empower all users and stakeholders to fight against dark patterns. Raising awareness is key, that’s why we’re creating a dedicated podcast!
The first episode was released on April 12, with our experts and guest stars, covering the following topics:
What are dark patterns?
How to spot a dark pattern?
Why are dark patterns efficient? I.e. How our brain works, System 1 and 2, cognitive biases
What can you do to avoid dark patterns?
Happy listening !
If you see a dark pattern, you can take action. For example, you can name and shame the company at stake, by using #darkpatterns on social media.
Harry Brignull’s site on deceptive patterns also provides a hall of shame
And you can also use the Dark Patterns Tipline to report a dark pattern.
There are many consumer protection associations and other types of NGO’s doing a fantastic job to identify dark patterns, raise awareness, organize workshops with users and share knowledge.
Have a look on our Resource page.
Many regulators are increasingly tackling dark patterns, including the Federal Trade Commission, which published a staff report “Bringing Dark Patterns to Light”, clearly signaling strong enforcement, the European Commission which release a full report on dark patterns in 2022 the Consumer Protection Cooperation Network in the EU which published the results of a web crawling on consumer-related dark patterns, the Information Commissioner Office, which organized a series of workshops on dark patterns, and many more
© Amurabi 2023
