Dark Patterns: Social Media, Gaming, and E-Commerce

Introduction

In the ever-evolving landscape of digital technology, user experience (UX) design plays a crucial role in guiding consumer behavior. However, not all UX design practices are created with the user's best interests in mind. Some are intentionally crafted to manipulate and deceive users into making choices they might not otherwise make. These practices are known as dark patterns. As technology continues to integrate more deeply into our daily lives, understanding dark patterns and how they manifest in social media, gaming, and e-commerce has become more critical than ever. In this article, we'll explore what dark patterns are, how they appear in different digital spaces, and how companies like Amurabi are leading the way in creating ethical, user-centered experiences.

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What Are Dark Patterns?

Dark patterns are deceptive design practices that manipulate users into taking actions they did not intend to take or would have avoided if they had been fully informed. These patterns can be subtle, often masquerading as legitimate design choices, but their impact can be significant. They can range from forcing users into subscribing to services, making it difficult to cancel subscriptions, to leading them into sharing more personal information than they are comfortable with.

Dark Patterns Definition

The term "dark patterns" was coined by UX designer Harry Brignull in 2010, referring to interfaces designed to mislead or trick users into making decisions that are advantageous to the business but not necessarily to the user. Since then, no less than 16 different taxonomies have been created by researchers and regulators, and there are also several legal definitions in the US and the EU, which we all thoroughly analyzed in our R&D Lab. Dark patterns exploit cognitive biases, leveraging psychological triggers to influence user behavior in ways that may not be immediately apparent.

Common Types of Dark Patterns

Here are a few basic examples - sadly there are many, many more - read a fuller list of existing dark patterns just here.

1. Bait and Switch: Users are lured into taking an action that results in a different outcome than expected.
2. Confirmshaming: Guilt-tripping users into opting into something.
3. Forced Continuity: Making it hard for users to cancel subscriptions or memberships.
4. Roach Motel: Easy to get into a situation (like signing up for a service) but hard to get out (like canceling the service).
5. Privacy Zuckering: Tricking users into sharing more information than they intended.

Understanding these definitions is essential as we delve into how dark patterns are utilized in different digital environments.

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Dark Patterns in Social Media

Social media platforms are fertile grounds for dark patterns due to the sheer amount of personal data they collect and the significant influence they wield over user behavior. The primary objective of most social media platforms is to maximize user engagement, often at the expense of user well-being. Here are some ways dark patterns manifest in social media:

Infinite Scroll

The infinite scroll is a well-known feature on platforms like Facebook and X, designed to keep users engaged for as long as possible. While it might seem like a user-friendly feature, it can lead to endless consumption of content, often without the user's conscious awareness. This design choice exploits the user’s tendency to continue engaging with content simply because it’s there, leading to potentially unhealthy patterns of use.

Default Settings Favoring Data Collection

Social media platforms often set default privacy settings that favor data collection. Users are usually required to manually change these settings if they wish to protect their privacy, and even then, the options may be buried deep within the platform's settings. This technique, known as Privacy Zuckering, manipulates users into sharing more personal information than they might want to, by making it easier to leave the default settings in place.

Manipulative Notifications

Notifications on social media are designed to draw users back to the platform. Some notifications are not truly about activities relevant to the user but are instead crafted to create a sense of urgency or fear of missing out (FOMO). This kind of manipulation is a dark pattern that exploits users' natural inclinations to stay connected and informed.

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Dark Patterns in Gaming

The gaming industry is another area where dark patterns are prevalent. For example, the Federal Trade Commission found that Epic Games used several dark patterns to trick users, including minors, in Fortnight. There are a variety of techniques to keep players engaged, sometimes to the detriment of the player's experience and well-being. Here’s how dark patterns manifest in gaming:

Dark Patterns in Gaming

1. Loot Boxes and Microtransactions: Many games offer loot boxes or similar mechanics that encourage players to spend real money on random rewards. These systems are often designed to exploit players' psychological tendencies, such as the fear of missing out or the thrill of gambling, without being transparent about the true costs involved. Typically, according to the FTC, Epic Games charged parents and gamers of all ages for unwanted items and locked the accounts of customers who disputed wrongful charges with their credit card companies. This led the company to settle and agree to pay $245M in refund for unwanted in-games purchases, in addition to the $225M fine.
2. Progress Blockers: Some games are designed to become increasingly difficult or time-consuming as the player progresses, nudging them towards purchasing in-game currency or items to advance more quickly. This creates a "pay-to-win" scenario that can be frustrating for players who do not wish to spend additional money.
3. Time-Limited Offers: Games often present players with time-limited offers to create a sense of urgency, pushing them to make impulsive purchases. These offers are designed to take advantage of the player's fear of missing out, encouraging spending that might not have occurred otherwise.

Ethical Alternatives in Gaming

Fortunately, not all gaming companies resort to these tactics. Dr. Celia Hodent, UX strategist and expert in ethical games, proved that it’s perfectly possible to create engaging games that respect users and do not harm their agency or well-being. At FairPatterns, we’re super happy to have her as senior advisor! We’re also happy and proud to help companies like King, Blizzard, Activision, and Riot Games to create dark-patterns free privacy policies and privacy-related information. By partnering with firms like Amurabi these companies are actively working to create gaming experiences that are not only enjoyable but also fair and transparent. Amurabi specializes in crafting privacy policies and in-game experiences that are free from dark patterns, ensuring that players can enjoy their games without being manipulated into unwanted actions or purchases.

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Dark Patterns in E-Commerce

E-commerce platforms are another domain where dark patterns are frequently deployed. With the goal of maximizing sales and customer retention, these platforms often use deceptive design practices to manipulate consumer behavior.

Dark Patterns of E-Commerce

1. Sneak into Basket: One common dark pattern is automatically adding additional items to a customer's shopping cart without their explicit consent. This can result in users purchasing items they did not intend to buy, simply because they overlooked the added items at checkout.
2. Hidden Costs: Another widespread tactic is the revelation of hidden fees only at the last step of the checkout process. These might include shipping costs, taxes, or service fees, which are not clearly disclosed upfront, leading to a frustrating and deceptive shopping experience.
3. Creating a Sense of Urgency: E-commerce sites often use countdown timers, limited-time offers, or low-stock warnings to create a false sense of urgency. These tactics can pressure consumers into making hasty purchasing decisions without fully considering their options.
4. Difficult Cancellation Processes: Once a purchase is made, some e-commerce sites make it difficult to cancel orders or subscriptions. This "roach motel" design ensures that customers can enter into agreements easily but face numerous hurdles when trying to exit. This is typically the main issue in the ongoing lawsuit launched by the FTC against Amazon for Prime: at the time of the lawsuit, no less than 7 steps were required to unsubscribe from Prime, including a series of confirmshaming dark patterns and other manipulative designs and wordings, aimed at dissuading users to cancel - when it took just one click to get a so-called “free delivery”. In March 2024, a federal judge denied Amazon’s motion to dismiss the case, and also confirmed that several of their senior executives face personal liability for knowingly maintaining the dark patterns in Prime - which was made so hard to cancel that it was internally nicknamed “Illiad”

‍Ethical Design in E-Commerce

Our expertise in creating user-friendly and ethical digital experiences extends to the e-commerce industry as well. Thanks to our library of fair patterns, which we developed further to 2 years of R&D, we help platforms and marketplaces to design e-commerce interfaces that prioritize transparency and user autonomy. This approach not only builds trust with consumers but also enhances the overall shopping experience.

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Dark Patterns in Advertising

Advertising is inherently persuasive, but when it crosses the line into manipulation, it can become a dark pattern. Online advertising, in particular, is rife with practices that deceive or mislead users.

Dark Patterns in Advertising

1. Disguised Ads: Many online ads are designed to look like regular content, making it difficult for users to distinguish between paid promotions and organic content. This can lead to unintentional clicks and a loss of trust in the platform.
2. Ad Clutter: Websites often bombard users with numerous ads, pop-ups, and banners that obscure the content they are trying to access. This cluttered experience is not only frustrating but also manipulative, as it can lead users to click on ads accidentally.
3. Misleading Claims: Some ads use exaggerated or misleading claims to lure users into clicking. These ads often promise more than they can deliver, leading to disappointment and frustration.

The Role of Ethical Advertising

Companies that are committed to ethical practices avoid these manipulative tactics. FairPatterns, with its focus on creating ethical digital experiences, works with companies to ensure that their advertising practices are transparent and respectful of users. By designing clear, honest, and unobtrusive ads, companies can build stronger relationships with their customers.

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FairPatterns: Leading the Way in Ethical Design

As digital experiences become more integral to our daily lives, the need for ethical design practices has never been more apparent. FairPatterns is at the forefront of this movement, partnering with leading companies like Canva, Bumble and King to create user experiences that are both engaging and respectful.

FairPatterns’ Approach

FairPatterns’ approach is rooted in the belief that users should be in control of their own experiences, and that it creates more value for the brands and business: more trust, thus longer customer lifetime value. This means designing interfaces that are clear, transparent, and free from manipulative tactics. By focusing on ethical design, FairPatterns helps companies build trust with their users, which is essential for long-term success.

How does it work? Our solution automatically detects dark patterns and suggests fair patterns from the library of fair patterns that we created thanks to 2 years of R&D. Each of our fair patterns has been assessed by 10 independent experts in the field of UX strategy, privacy, neurosciences, psychology, law and behavioral economy. In addition, each of fair patterns is designed so that it integrates seamlessly on various interfaces. Our team of experts can also help to adapt our client’s design system, if needed, so as to avoid creating new dark patterns.

In addition, our experts in UX strategy, neurosciences, plain language and law can entirely revamp any online policy to make it fully user-centric, in plain language, limiting the cognitive load of users and in a design that engages all users.

How long does it take? Dark patterns detection can be made within one single day, remediation suggestions in a couple of days, and about 3 weeks for the redesign of policies. That’s it!

Who are our clients? We’re happy to work with leading global brands such as Canva, King, Bumble, Orange, Fnac Darty…

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Conclusion

Dark patterns are a pervasive issue in digital design, but they are not inevitable. Companies like FairPatterns are proving that it is possible to create engaging, user-friendly experiences without resorting to manipulative tactics. By prioritizing ethical design, companies can build trust with their users, leading to more sustainable and successful digital platforms.

As users, it is important to be aware of dark patterns and how they can impact our online experiences. By understanding these tactics, we can make more informed choices and advocate for better, more ethical digital experiences. And for businesses, partnering with ethical design experts like FairPatterns is not just a smart choice—it’s a necessary one in the pursuit of a fair and user-centered digital future.