Daily Current Affairs : 8-September-2023

In recent news, the Indian government has taken a significant step towards ensuring a fair and transparent online shopping experience. The Centre has opened the floor for public comments on its draft guidelines for the prevention and regulation of “dark patterns” on the Internet, with a particular focus on e-commerce platforms. These guidelines are essential to protect consumers from deceptive practices and to promote ethical business conduct in the online marketplace.

Understanding Dark Patterns

Dark patterns are deceptive design practices that manipulate users into making decisions or taking actions they didn’t originally intend or want to take. These practices compromise consumer autonomy and violate their rights. The Ministry has defined dark patterns as deceptive design patterns that:

  1. Utilize User Interfaces for Deception: Dark patterns employ user interface and user experience interactions across various platforms to deceive users.
  2. Mislead and Trick Users: Their primary purpose is to mislead or trick users into doing something they initially did not intend to do.
  3. Undermine Consumer Autonomy: Dark patterns subvert or impair the user’s autonomy, decision-making, or choice.
  4. Violate Consumer Rights: These practices amount to misleading advertisements, unfair trade practices, and violations of consumer rights.
Types of Dark Patterns

The Ministry’s draft guidelines identify several types of dark patterns that require prevention and regulation:

  1. False Urgency: This involves falsely stating or implying a sense of urgency to pressure users into making quick decisions.
  2. Basket Sneaking: Basket sneaking occurs when additional items are added to a user’s shopping cart during the checkout process without their consent or knowledge.
  3. Confirm Shaming: Confirm shaming involves using phrases, videos, audio, or other means to create a sense of fear, shame, ridicule, or guilt in the user’s mind, pushing them towards a particular action.
  4. Forced Action: Dark patterns of forced action coerce users into taking actions that necessitate purchasing additional goods, often without their consent.
  5. Subscription Trap: This deceptive practice makes canceling a paid subscription difficult or complex, trapping users into continued payments.
  6. Interface Interference: Some dark patterns manipulate the user interface to confuse or mislead users into making unintended choices.
  7. Bait and Switch: This involves advertising a specific outcome based on the user’s actions and then delivering a different result, often to the user’s detriment.
  8. Drip Pricing: Drip pricing conceals elements of prices, withholding critical information from users until later in the purchasing process.
Applicability of Guidelines

One crucial aspect of these draft guidelines is their broad applicability. They will extend to all individuals and online platforms, including sellers and advertisers. This comprehensive approach ensures that deceptive practices are curbed across the e-commerce spectrum, benefiting both consumers and ethical businesses.

Important Points:

  • The Indian government has drafted guidelines to prevent and regulate “dark patterns” on the Internet, especially in e-commerce platforms.
  • Dark patterns are deceptive design practices that manipulate users into unintended actions, compromising their autonomy and consumer rights.
  • The Ministry defines dark patterns as deceptive design patterns used across platforms to mislead users.
  • Types of dark patterns include false urgency, basket sneaking, confirm shaming, forced action, subscription trap, interface interference, bait and switch, and drip pricing.
  • These guidelines will apply to all individuals and online platforms, including sellers and advertisers, to ensure comprehensive regulation.
  • The guidelines aim to create a fair and transparent online shopping experience, protect consumers from deceptive practices, and promote ethical conduct among businesses.
  • Public input and stakeholder cooperation will be crucial for the effective implementation of these guidelines.
Why In News

The Center has taken a proactive step by inviting public feedback on the draft guidelines designed to curb the proliferation of “dark patterns” across the internet, with a specific focus on e-commerce platforms. This inclusive approach ensures that the regulation reflects the concerns and insights of a wide range of stakeholders in the online ecosystem.

MCQs about Regulating Dark Patterns in E-Commerce

  1. What is the primary purpose of “dark patterns” in the context of e-commerce?
    A. To enhance user experience
    B. To manipulate users into unintended actions
    C. To provide discounts and offers
    D. To improve website design
    Correct Answer: B. To manipulate users into unintended actions
    Explanation: Dark patterns are deceptive design practices aimed at misleading users into making unintended decisions or actions.
  2. Which of the following is NOT a type of “dark pattern”?
    A. False Urgency
    B. Basket Sneaking
    C. Secure Payment
    D. Confirm Shaming
    Correct Answer: C. Secure Payment
    Explanation: It can be discusses various types of dark patterns, but “Secure Payment” is not one of them.
  3. Who will be subject to the guidelines for preventing and regulating dark patterns?
    A. Only online sellers
    B. Only consumers
    C. All individuals and online platforms, including sellers and advertisers
    D. Only government agencies
    Correct Answer: C. All individuals and online platforms, including sellers and advertisers
    Explanation: The guidelines apply to a wide range of stakeholders to ensure comprehensive regulation.

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