Guilt trips and basket sneaking: How to spot ecommerce dark patterns

So-called dark patterns used on e-commerce platforms, like basket sneaking or creating a false sense of urgency, are designed to subtly influence our choices, tricking us into buying things we didn't want. — Photo: Christin Klose/dpa

BERLIN: Ecommerce platforms often resort to so-called dark patterns, subtle manipulative design elements or features designed to influence our decision-making, allowing them to get their hands on our personal data, sell us more or trick us into subscriptions and contracts.

In the European Union, the EU Digital Services Act has prohibited large online platforms from exploiting human behavioural or perceptual patterns through misleading design tricks since August 2023. But large online platforms from the US and China are still not complying, as shown by a study from the Federation of German Consumer Organisations (vzbv).