Dark Patterns & Manipulative Design

Conceptualising and Systematising a Key Contemporary Phenomenon from a Legal Perspective and Beyond

Edited by:

• Raphael Gellert, Assistant Professor, Radboud Business Law Institute, Faculty of Law and interdisciplinary hub on digitalization and society (iHub), Radboud University, The Netherlands
• Hanna Schraffenberger, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Science, iCIS and interdisciplinary hub on digitalization and society (iHub), Radboud University, The Netherlands
• Cristiana Santos, Assistant professor, School of Law, Utrecht Centre for Regulation and Enforcement in Europe (RENFORCE), Department of International and EU Law, Faculty of Law, Economics and Governance, Utrecht University, the Netherlands

Rationale of the book

Deceptive and coercive design practices, known as dark patterns, are increasingly used to manipulate consumers and limit their choices. Since its inception in the mid-2010s, the term “dark patterns” refers to online interfaces that deceive users or impair their ability to make informed decisions. Recent policy studies show that 95% of mobile apps and over 10% of global shopping websites contain at least one dark pattern. In the EU, 97% of popular websites and apps use these tactics, and 40% of e-commerce sites analyzed by EU authorities employed them.

Dark patterns affect various digital contexts, including e-commerce, social media, games, privacy, and more. Policy reports and empirical research demonstrates that these practices manipulate user behavior and are especially harmful to vulnerable groups like children and the elderly. Such harms include financial loss, privacy invasion, loss of autonomy, and psychological damage.

While the concept dates back over a decade, dark patterns have gained traction in recent years, becoming a growing field of transdisciplinary research. Scholars, regulators, and practitioners study the forms, definitions, and impacts of these patterns globally. Despite this growth, the field lacks systematization and theoretical grounding. The aim of this book is to provide a coherent and systematic overview of the dark patterns research field.

This book endeavor started at the 2024 Lorentz Center Workshop on Fair Design Patterns for Online Interfaces.

Contributors

Invited contributors can submit their papers here: https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=dpdd24