Dark Patterns

Websites on the internet are constantly trying to get you to complete actions.
Whether it's buying something, reccomending a friend or posting private information,
there is a lot of value in getting you to perform specific actions. However, some
websites go too far and try to trick or mislead you into doing what they want. This
has led to what are called "Dark Patterns", or shady ways of tricking you into
performing actions without you knowing.

It's important that you are aware of these patterns, and so below are a list of dark
patterns with interactive examples. The more you know, the more control you will
have.

Sneak into Basket

The Sneak into Basket technique is often used to get you to buy extra and
unnecessary items without your knowledge. It works by sneakily adding items to your
shopping cart right before your purchase.

Shady Store

Cool item

Buy

Awesome item

Buy

Ok item

Confirmshaming
Confirmshaming is when websites make the "No" option something terrible to guilt
you into saying "Yes" instead. This technique is a favorite among blogs and news
sites to get you to subscribe to their newsletters.

Thanks! Prepare for a

newsletter every hour of
every day!

Restart

Fake Friend Request

Social media sites use this technique to trick you into sending more friend requests.
They do this by sending you fake friend requests, and when you accept them you're
actually sending a friend request instead. It's social media's way of influencing who
you connect with.

Friend Requests

Tom Tomson
Got you! You just sent a friend
request

Jim Jimson
Tricked you! You just sent a
friend request

Ann Annson
You fool! You just sent a friend
request

Fake Notifications
Social media sites want you to get in the habit of checking your notifications
regularly, and so some sites will send you fake notifications. These notifications are
not relevant to you but get you into the habit of checking them.

Spammy Social Media

A sport's team you never heard
of just had a pregame!

Spammy Social Media

Your friends NEED to hear from
you NOW

Spammy Social Media

Some random person just
graduated!

Spammy Social Media

Someone you don't know
posted something!

Segmented Email List

Companies will often segment their email lists into different groups. A shady
company will use this to force you to unsubscribe from each individual group instead
of from the email list as a whole.

Click the email lists you want to

unsubscribe from. You're too
lazy to click them all!
Email list #1 Email list #2
Email list #3 Email list #4
Email list #5 Email list #6
Email list #7 Email list #8
Email list #9 Email list #10
Email list #11 Email list #12

Unsubscribe

Share The Article

Sometimes desperate sites will make you share the article before you can finish it.
It's a lame attempt at going viral and the article is always low quality.

Message from Grandma: What

is a listicle honey?

7 Reasons Listicles Suck!

1. No supporting data
2. They're made in 5 minutes
3. They steal content
4. They're lazy
5. They're lazy
6. They're lazy
7. They're lazy

Desperate Friend Request

Some social media sites will send a desperate-sounding friend request on your
behalf. Social media sites are more valuable when they are highly connected, and so
some go too far to make that happen.

Tom Tomson
Message sent!

Hello Tom,
PLEASE ADD ME AS A FRIEND
IMMEDIATELY. I REALLY NEED
THIS. I'M NOTHING WITHOUT
YOU.
Thanks for you time.

UI Switcheroo
Just when you're getting hang of the UI layout, some websites will switch it up to trick
you. This is usually done to get you to accept something by mistake.

Would you like to sign up

for our newsletter?

Yes No

Agree and...
Most sites require you to agree to a TOS after signing up, and so people often check
the agree box without reading it. Sites know this, and so some will use the agree
button to include signing up for a newsletter and other shady things.

Create Account

Name: Bob Bobson

Date of Birth: 1/1/11
Role: Unemployed

I agree to the TOS and

henceforth agree to sell my soul to
shady corp, forfeit my first born child to
will of the corporation, and sign up for
the newsletter.

Create Account

Contacts Spam
Some sites will gain the ability to message your contacts after signing up (social
media contacts and/or email contacts). They will abuse this access by messaging
everyone in your contacts list without your knowledge.

Login with social

media

Download ads
This dark pattern is probably the oldest on this list. These are ads that disguise
themselves as the real download button and give you malware instead. Any shady
software site will have these.

Download

The Real Download

Button

Download Here

The ACTUAL
Download Button

The one true

download button

Hopefully knowing about these dark patterns will help you avoid them. Also, if more
people know about them they will slowly lose effectiveness.

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