REGULATING “DARK PATTERNS” IN E COMMERCE

Abstract

The use of "dark patterns," or user interfaces intended to trick users into making unforeseen decisions, is growing on digital platforms. The ethical, legal, and financial ramifications of these dishonest e-commerce practices are examined in this abstract. It presents a typology of dark patterns, such as urgency cues, forced actions, hidden costs, and privacy shaming, and makes the case that these strategies go against the informed consent principle. Because it can be difficult to define harm, demonstrate intent, and handle the fragmentation of global jurisdiction, current legal frameworks—which were created for traditional commerce—are frequently insufficient. A new regulatory framework based on proactive measures is proposed in this paper Explicit "duty of care" establishment for ethical design should be mentioned, along with enactment of laws for algorithmic and interface transparency and empowerment of regulators to conduct usability audits.