It’s pretty easy to spot dark patterns when you look out for them, but I found a pretty obvious example of this.
Stoofie is a brand that sells water fountains for your pet (I don’t know what the problem with a water bowl is, but I digress). WayBack Machine
Plastered at the top of their website is “33% OFF Ends Today- Free Shipping” with no way to dismiss it. There is a scrolling text under the main image “FAST AND FREE SHIPPING 60-DAY FREE RETURNS”
If you scroll down, you’re immediately introduced with a product with the option to buy two preselected. The rest of this section explains itself:
Other things are sprinkled in the main page, but it really is the prime example of dark patterns. I am personally sick of finding them, but would love to see more examples of what others have found. Please, share your favorite examples of dark patterns. Don’t forget to archive them first so they can never be lived down.
Those are pretty bright patterns in my book. More of the usual BS.
I’m not sure what you mean by “dark patterns” in this context. Isn’t this just marketing?
Is it that the more expensive choice is pre-selected? That the discounted price is likely just the real price and it’s never sold at the higher price? (that one got Saatva in trouble! - https://topclassactions.com/lawsuit-settlements/open-lawsuit-settlements/11-5m-saatva-com-false-advertising-class-action-settlement/)
I read recently that the phrase “noticing patterns” is a racist dog whistle but I don’t have a firm handle on how or why.
I don’t know if dark patterns are exempt but the timing is weird.
my favourite is Amazon’s:
- buy without prime (2$ shipping fees)
- buy with prime (free shipping)
exept you must pay amazon prime 10$ and it’s a monthly recuring subscription.
Water bowls are stagnant water and animals can sense that and do not like it. In nature, stagnant water is dangerous and kind of a last resort. Heck, even humans can taste this and probably don’t like it. Try leaving a bowl of water out for 24 hours and drink it yourself, you might be able to tell it’s not good.
Fountains keep that water tasting fresh, though tbh they might fill it with micro plastics or something so who knows if it’s really an improvement.
Most cookie consent dialogues:
- There’s only one big accept button
- If the decline button even exists, it’s grey whereas the other one is green.
- The decline option could be buried deep under other menus.
- The sizes of the buttons
Most companies are trying to actively manipulate you to accept all cookies, but nowadays there are a few companies that don’t resort to any of these dirty tricks.
The one that scares me the most is:
Accept all or Settings
And you have to opt out 5-10 buttons and at the end there is a “save settings” or the “accept all” button again in green.
Who has time for this shit? Just for a stupid article? We need laws against these.
Oh they care. They care a lot. Particularly that you don’t have any so they can sell all your details to any bidder.
I’m honestly surprised no-one has built an extension to automatically opt out of them, or at least the major cookie providers interfaces.
I realise there are many extensions which outright block cookies, etc; I’m meaning specifically the annoying dialogues you describe
Aarhus university has done exactly that! https://consentomatic.au.dk/
It doesn’t work 100% of the time but it’s pretty good
You forgot a million switches for each “partner”. More like prostitution.
