"232 People Watching Together"... 'Dark Pattern' Inducing Misunderstanding and Mistakes [News Terms]

"Almost sold out, only 1 item left!" "232 people are viewing this product together."

Have you ever hurriedly clicked the purchase button and completed card payment while shopping online on your computer or phone after seeing such messages? Even though you know better, you sometimes get tricked, and at times, as if under a spell, you buy items you don't immediately need, but refunds or cancellations are very complicated and cumbersome.

This kind of sales tactic or deception is called a "dark pattern." It was first organized and introduced in 2011 by British UX designer Harry Brignull. It refers to the design or design techniques of websites or applications (apps) created to deceive consumers by inducing illusions, mistakes, or irrational spending, leading them to purchase goods or subscribe to services on internet sites or smartphone apps.

Typical types of dark patterns include "cancellation/withdrawal obstruction," where consumers unknowingly subscribe to memberships and the cancellation, termination, or withdrawal procedures are designed to be complicated; "hidden renewal," where contracts are automatically renewed and payments are made, incurring additional costs; and "sequential price disclosure," where prices are shown low on the search screen but hidden final prices are charged during payment. They also make price comparisons difficult or deceive prices by adding shipping fees or taxes at the final stage of the payment process.

Commonly experienced "malware" or "phishing" in daily life are also types of dark patterns. Dark patterns are similar to "nudges," which softly intervene to guide others' choices, but they are closer to deception and can cause harm to users, so caution is necessary.

According to the Korea Consumer Agency, at least one dark pattern was found in 97% of 100 domestic e-commerce mobile apps. The agency stated, "There is room to view dark patterns as aggressive marketing," but also judged that "there is a difference from traditional marketing techniques in that they influence consumers so they cannot make independent purchasing decisions."

Already, many countries such as the United States and the European Union (EU) are making various efforts to regulate dark patterns. Our government is also preparing policies to protect consumers from dark patterns, centered on the Fair Trade Commission, and is promoting legislation to supplement legal grounds for dark patterns that are difficult to regulate under current laws.