Bringing Dark Patterns to Light

On April 29, 2021, the FTC hosted a public workshop on digital dark patterns and explored whether user interfaces can have the effect of obscuring, subverting, or impairing consumer autonomy and decision-making. The workshop featured a variety of speakers, including consumer advocates, members of Congress, researchers, legal experts, and other industry professionals. In this Staff Report, we discuss key topics from the workshop and academic literature, including the rise of dark patterns in the digital marketplace and common types of dark patterns. (See Appendix A.) For each common dark pattern addressed, we discuss consumer protection concerns and recommendations for companies.