philip lelyveld The world of entertainment technology

21Jan/20Off

How Do You Know When You’re Being Manipulated? The Dangers of Dark Design

shutterstock_635097344By using specific psychological techniques, designers can create UX and UI products that deceptively guide users into making decisions, often without their full understanding.

Tactics such as strategic visual design and persuasive micro-copy can manipulate people into making unintentional purchases, giving consent to invasive privacy settings or spending more time on the application than needed.

And they’re not restricted to the fringes of e-commerce sites, either: A recent study found more than 1,800 instances of dark pattern use on 1,254 online shopping websites.

The Push for Regulation Is Growing

Last year, the DETOUR Act (Deceptive Experiences to Online Users Reduction Act) was put before Congress, which would restrict irresponsible design use on big web platform holders with more than 100 million active users.

Actions like this, along with legislation like GDPR in Europe and the upcoming California Consumer Privacy Act, signal the dawn of a new information economy. While it’s difficult to predict how Big Tech will respond, some big players like Microsoft and Mozilla have actually come out in favor of the bill.

Collaboration on Ethics

On the one hand, we enjoy the opportunities and convenience given to us by digital apps. On the other, we must carefully assess the risks posed to individuals and societies as a whole and ensure that our civil liberties are protected from the long arm of data-hungry Big Tech.

See the full story here: https://www.brinknews.com/how-do-you-know-when-youre-being-manipulated-the-dangers-of-dark-design/

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