“A hidden online trap,” is how the Belgian government describes so-called ‘dark patterns’: subtle techniques to influence consumers. But is it seduction or deception? And is it legally permitted?
Nearly all subscription services
Three-quarters of the websites that offer subscriptions, from streaming to meal boxes, subtly influence consumers, concludes the Belgian government in the context of an international study. Twenty-seven consumer and privacy authorities investigated 642 websites worldwide.
Over 75% of the websites use at least one ‘dark pattern’. In 66.8% of cases, two or more were found. In Belgium, at least one dark pattern was found in all 13 companies, and in 69%, even two or more.
