Black and white of Dark Patterns
Consumer Affairs Ministry steps in again to ensure removal of deceptive user interfaces that trick consumers into unintended purchases
LAST month, the Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs took two concrete steps to get rid of ‘Dark Patterns’ or deceptive online user interfaces. These deploy behavioural psychology, particularly consumers’ cognitive biases, to trick them into unintended actions, including online purchases, that eventually work to their detriment.