The European Union said that almost 40% of online stores use manipulation methods to push customers to choose their own interests.
investigation conducted the EU to protect consumer rights, as well as Norway and Iceland. It was based on 3 specific tactics of manipulation (dark patterns):
- Counting timers;
- web interfaces specially designed to attract the consumer to purchases, subscriptions or other actions;
- Hidden information about the product.
Of the 399 online stores in question, selling various products from textiles to electronics, 148 stores used at least one of these manipulation tactics.
According to the European Commission, the goal of dark patterns is to deceive consumers, forcing them to make a choice that may not meet their interests. “Such behavior is clearly wrong and contradicts the protection of consumer rights,” the statement of the Commissioner of Justice Didier Reynders said.
“Dark Patterns” – the technique used by designers to force users of the site to perform the desired actions. For example, the provision of confidentiality options for the web cuckoo, while one of the options is brighter and formulated more positively.
The most common dark pattern was to hide important information or its spelling in a less noticeable form. 70 online stores hid information about cheaper options, delivery costs or composition of products.
Websites also rely on visual design and the choice of language in order to manipulate consumers, forcing them to make a certain choice. The audit showed that 54 online stores use this tactic. On 42 sites, fake timers of the reverse reference were found with terms calling to urgently buy certain products.
The check also covered 102 applications of proven websites and found that 27 of them used dark patterns.
retailers who have found dark patterns will indicate sites, otherwise they may encounter further consequences. Didier called on the national authorities to “use their law enforcement opportunities for taking appropriate measures and fighting this practice.”
He added that in parallel the European Commission is reviewing all the legislation on the protection of consumer rights to make sure that it is suitable for the digital era, including to evaluate whether dark patterns are adequately used.
Recall that in March 2022, the European Data Protection Council (EDPB), which monitors the observance of confidentiality in the European Union, adopted a number of recommendations to limit the use of “dark patterns” on social networks.