Dark commercial patterns

Abstract

There is mounting concern that dark commercial patterns may cause substantial consumer detriment. These practices, which are commonly found in online user interfaces, steer, deceive, coerce, or manipulate consumers into making choices that often are not in their best interests. In light of the growing need to address dark commercial patterns comprehensively, the OECD Committee on Consumer Policy first held a roundtable on the topic in November 2020 (OECD, 2021[9]). This report builds on the roundtable discussion, in particular by proposing a working definition of dark commercial patterns, setting out evidence of their prevalence and harms, and identifying possible policy and enforcement responses to assist consumer policy makers and authorities in addressing them. It also documents possible approaches consumers and businesses may take to mitigate dark commercial patterns.The report was prepared by Nicholas McSpedden-Brown, under the supervision of Brigitte Acoca of the OECD Secretariat and in consultation with the Committee on Consumer Policy's advisory group on dark commercial patterns. It was approved and declassified by written procedure by the Committee on Consumer Policy on 24 August 2022 and prepared for publication by the OECD Secretariat.

Dark Patterns, Enforcement, and the emerging Digital Design Acquis: Manipulation beneath the Interface

“…Although no substantial evidence currently indicates the widespread use of personalized dark patterns targeting individual vulnerabilities, the growing convergence of data collection, machine learning, and AI techniques may alter this landscape. 193 In this line, the OECD anticipate that businesses will increasingly tailor dark patterns, 184 Uuk, R. 2022. UManipulation and the AI Act.…”

Putting people first in digital transformation

“…There is a difference between a teenager at risk of an eating disorder seeing unrealistic body images, and one finding a supportive community around a topic they care about. There is need for comprehensive, good quality, large-scale studies on the health and wellbeing effects of the digital environment on children, which consider the myriad of different activities children undertake in the digital environment, and their evolving capacities and vulnerabilities (OECD, 2022 [44]).…”

Las personas primero en la transformación digital

“…El caso de un adolescente con riesgo de padecer un trastorno alimentario expuesto a imágenes corporales poco realistas en línea es muy diferente al de otro que encuentra una comunidad de apoyo en línea en un tema que le preocupa. Se necesitan estudios exhaustivos, de calidad y a gran escala sobre los efectos del entorno digital en la salud y el bienestar de los menores, que tengan en cuenta la multitud de actividades diferentes que realizan los niños en el entorno digital, así como la evolución de sus capacidades y vulnerabilidades (OCDE, 2022 [44]).…”