Dark patterns are intentionally designed to exploit users by subtly manipulating the user interface, often resulting in harm. As dark pattern research has expanded across various disciplines, tracking its transdisciplinary development has become increasingly complex. This thesis seeks to review the body of dark pattern research since 2020, with a focus on emerging trends, particularly in examining their impact on users and the development of potential countermeasures.
In conducting a systematic literature review, we adhered to the PRISMA guidelines, examining 52 publications from prestigious conferences and journals. The literature search was conducted between 10 and 25 August, utilising the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) Digital Library, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Xplore, and a targeted screening of countermeasure-related papers identified in the references of the papers located through these databases.
The dataset was coded to facilitate a meta-analysis, which revealed that certain dark patterns have received more attention in recent years than others. The research community has increasingly concentrated on dark patterns in online shopping interfaces, with studies on other platforms beginning to emerge. We also observed a modest increase in studies focused on specific user groups, such as age or culture-based populations. While damage to user autonomy and personal resources has been extensively studied, harm at the community level remains underexplored. Furthermore, although countermeasure tools aimed at mitigating the effects of dark patterns have become more common, studies involving user interactions with these countermeasures remain relatively sparse.