Dark Patterns – Manipulation on the Internet

“Allow all cookies”, “Only 5 left in stock!” – does something like this sound familiar? Maybe you’ve clicked on something while browsing or spent more money while shopping online when you really didn’t mean to. Behind this is a mechanism that deliberately deceives users on websites, in online commerce, in apps and games.

Seductive designs

Dark patterns are designed to induce Internet users to take actions that are not in their interest, but work in favor of the provider. This involves working with design principles from graphic design as well as tricks from behavioral psychology. The aim is to obtain personal data from users or to tempt them into excessive purchases of products, subscriptions or contracts. Well-known examples are:

• Draw attention: The “ORDER NOW” button lights up large and with a colored background. The alternative “no, thank you” remains discreetly in the background.
• Blur wording: Ambiguous statements, double negatives, or misleading expressions intentionally confuse. This strategy is particularly common for forms with checkboxes.
• Hiding information: Log out, unsubscribe, cancel – these actions are sometimes well hidden or not present at all. This makes it difficult to withdraw from an offer.
• Create negative emotions: a special offer is about to expire, the shopping cart is deleted or only a few items are still available – this intentionally creates pressure. Anyone who only adds the alternative “No, I don’t want to be informed” to the newsletter subscription notice is deliberately targeting users’ sense of shame.
• Automatically add additional offers: In the shopping cart or when making a flight reservation, you suddenly find an additional offer such as insurance next to the items you added yourself.

These Dark Patterns are encountered by children and young people

Children and young people also encounter manipulative strategies every day on the Internet. Especially on social media platforms, in apps or video games, they have to deal with hidden information, advertising banners, sales strategies and psychological tricks. The special algorithms and endless feeds of TikTok, Instagram and the like are deliberately designed to keep users in the apps as long as possible. Likes and comments inspire, but also create social pressure. Video games like Fortnite and gaming apps like Coin Master use mechanisms such as unnecessary time pressure, intrusive in-app purchases, and opaque loot boxes, among others. On websites and search engines, it is not always easy to distinguish advertising from content. Younger children in particular do not yet have the experience and maturity to see through Dark Patterns and not be guided by emotions.

How can parents deal with this?

Be careful when surfing the Internet, protect your child’s data and encourage your child to use data sparingly. Discuss with your child the conscious use of money and accompany him or her when making first orders or payments online. Educate your child about the mechanics of online advertising and sales tricks on the Internet. Consider the following tips and discuss them with your child:

• Think first, then click: Don’t click buttons too quickly, but take your time to see what options are available.
• Read carefully: For forms with checkboxes to click, carefully read what checking a box really means.
• Checking orders: Before completing an online purchase, check the shopping cart and make sure it contains only what is needed.
• Keep emotions in check: Don’t feel pressured to make purchases and don’t feel guilty about offers.

In addition, solutions from the technical youth media protection can support the safe Internet use of your child, for example, youth protection filters, access restrictions or ad blockers.

Are such strategies allowed at all? Legally, dark patterns operate in a gray area. If you or your child have had a negative experience with it, report it together to the consumer center: verbraucherzentrale.de/beschwerde.