UI "Dark Pattern" to deceive users on net shopping illegally

ByDon Hankins

Dark patternIs web design that allows you to purchase products without notifying the user, or make it difficult to understand the mechanisms of charges. Law to crack down the dark pattern traversing on the Internet "The Consumer Rights DirectiveFinally in the EUEnforced on 13th June 2014And some of the dark patterns became illegal.

Some Dark Patterns now illegal in UK - interview with Heather Burns | 90 Percent Of Everything
http://www.90percentofeverything.com/2014/08/26/some-dark-patterns-now-illegal-in-uk-interview-with-heather-burns/

He is a web designer and has written books on consumer rightsHeather BurnsAccording to him, the dark pattern that was supposed to be prohibited by the new law is "Hidden Costs"Sneak into Basket"Forced ContinuityThree.

"Hidden Costs" is a checkout screen of online shopping, adding shipping fees, commissions, etc. without the user's knowledge, so that if some fee is added in the future, before the checkout screen, I have to announce it. Regarding delivery charges that do not know the exact price until you enter an address, you will be obliged to notify the user before checking out "There may be additional charges depending on the location of the delivery destination".

BySea turtle

Also, it is prohibited that a dark pattern such as inducing users at a cheap price, adding a high-priced fee at a later time, such as a fee of 300 yen for a ticket and a fee of 4500 yen when going to a purchase screen .

"Sneak into Basket" which means that a paid catalog or mystery option is added to the shopping basket on the settlement confirmation screen is completely prohibited. Even if it is specified to be able to manually remove products added by default, it is out.

Forced Continuity "which requests credit card information when you trial the service for free, and allows you to continue as a charged service without notifying the user will be completely prohibited when the trial period ends. Mr. Burns's friend actually suffered from Forced Continuity, but now that the new law is enforced, it will be announced at the start of trial of the product that it will automatically switch to paid service at the end of the trial period Submitting the evidence that it was not, it is possible to regain the extra paid fee.

ByEFile 989

Until the new law is enforced, consumer law enforced in 1997 against the transactions on the Internet in Europe has been applied, Mr. Burns was criticizing that "outdated was extraordinary". The new law is aimed at "amendment of the old law concerning e-commerce", "to allow users within the EU area to secure transactions with users in different countries" and "to eliminate dark patterns".

However, the new law's The Consumer Rights Directive is an Internet advertisement that disguises as another content or guidanceDisguised Ads"Request disclosure of personal information as a return of free service"Forced DisclosureIt does not apply to dark patterns such as "Please be careful." Also, because the general consciousness of The Consumer Rights Directive is not progressing, there are still websites that implement illegal dark patterns.

ByTim Reckmann

If the number of companies using the dark pattern decreases due to the enforcement of The Consumer Rights Directive, we will only hope that it will make shopping on the Internet safer.