Detecting and Mitigating Dark Patterns on Digital Platforms

By Ariel Yosefi, Kevin David Gampel & Tamara Mascisch Cohen

In recent years, regulators around the world have intensified their scrutiny of online interface design, with a growing focus on practices commonly referred to as “dark patterns.”

These practices involve design choices in user interfaces that nudge, pressure or mislead individuals into taking actions they might not otherwise take – often by obscuring relevant information, complicating navigation flows or exploiting cognitive biases.

This increased regulatory attention has led to a widening set of legal obligations for online platforms across multiple jurisdictions.

We are pleased to provide you with our playbook – a practical guide for teams operating under the expanding body of regulatory requirements governing dark patterns and interface design. The playbook outlines the key regulatory standards applicable to online platforms in the design, deployment and ongoing operation of user interfaces. It focuses in particular on restrictions against manipulative, deceptive or misleading design elements, and sets out design principles intended to ensure that users are able to make free and informed decisions.