FTC audit of websites and apps finds three-fourths use dark patterns to trick consumers

A Federal Trade Commission (FTC) review of hundreds of websites and apps revealed that more than three-fourths of them use so-called dark patterns to trick consumers into sacrificing their privacy or purchasing products they don’t need, the agency said Wednesday.

The annual review, which concluded in February, studied 642 global websites and subscription-based mobile apps, examining the practices of companies worldwide alongside authorities from 26 nations. Sixty-seven percent of them were found to have deployed multiple “possible” dark patterns, while 76% used at least one.

Two types of dark patterns were most frequently detected, the agency said.

“Sneaking practices,” which involve obscuring or postponing the sharing of information that might influence consumers’ purchasing choices, were used by many of the audited websites. “Interface interference” — defined as tactics which hide critical information or “preselect” choices, pushing consumers to make decisions favorable to a given company — were also commonly used, the agency said.

The FTC did not determine whether the practices were illegal in the more than two dozen countries studied.

The agency is increasingly focused on the impacts of dark patterns and has recently punished businesses that use them with staggering financial penalties.

In March, the FTC finalized an order fining Epic Games, the maker of the popular Fortnite video game, $245 million after the company settled allegations that it used dark patterns to dupe players into making purchases they didn’t want.

“How much…

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