2025
Seaborn, Katie; Gray, Colin M; Gunawan, Johanna; Mildner, Thomas; Schäfer, René; Chamorro, Lorena Sanchez; Nakamura, Satoshi
Global and Transdisciplinary Perspectives on Dark Patterns and Deceptive Design Practice Proceedings Article
In: CHI EA’25: Extended Abstracts of the 2025 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems., Association for Computing Machinery, 2025.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Dark Patterns, Legal and Policy Perspectives, Regulation, UX Knowledge
@inproceedings{SeabornUnknown-av,
title = {Global and Transdisciplinary Perspectives on Dark Patterns and Deceptive Design Practice},
author = {Katie Seaborn and Colin M Gray and Johanna Gunawan and Thomas Mildner and René Schäfer and Lorena Sanchez Chamorro and Satoshi Nakamura},
url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1145/3706599.3716294},
doi = {10.1145/3706599.3716294},
year = {2025},
date = {2025-04-27},
booktitle = {CHI EA’25: Extended Abstracts of the 2025 CHI Conference
on Human Factors in Computing Systems.},
publisher = {Association for Computing Machinery},
abstract = {Dark patterns and deceptive designs (DPs) refer to user
interfaces (UIs) that trick people into interactions that benefit
the service providers. Today, academic research, legal action,
and media cover- age has raised awareness among a diversity of
stakeholders world- wide. Yet, the lens has focused on Western
and English contexts. We propose a Special Interest Group (SIG)
that centres on cross-cultural and interdisciplinary engagement.
The organizing team, who hail from a plurality of nations and
disciplines, will spark discussion by sharing their
knowledge—findings, frameworks, methods, and tools—and
culturally-sensitive perspectives on deception in mod- ern
digital products and services. Attendees will participate in a
small group drawing activity, whereby culturally-specific DPs and
disciplinary perspectives can be surfaced and communicated with-
out reliance on a specific language or cultural frame. This SIG
is expected to draw in a diversity of designers, researchers,
security experts, and legal scholars concerned about ethical
design practice.},
keywords = {Dark Patterns, Legal and Policy Perspectives, Regulation, UX Knowledge},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
Dark patterns and deceptive designs (DPs) refer to user
interfaces (UIs) that trick people into interactions that benefit
the service providers. Today, academic research, legal action,
and media cover- age has raised awareness among a diversity of
stakeholders world- wide. Yet, the lens has focused on Western
and English contexts. We propose a Special Interest Group (SIG)
that centres on cross-cultural and interdisciplinary engagement.
The organizing team, who hail from a plurality of nations and
disciplines, will spark discussion by sharing their
knowledge—findings, frameworks, methods, and tools—and
culturally-sensitive perspectives on deception in mod- ern
digital products and services. Attendees will participate in a
small group drawing activity, whereby culturally-specific DPs and
disciplinary perspectives can be surfaced and communicated with-
out reliance on a specific language or cultural frame. This SIG
is expected to draw in a diversity of designers, researchers,
security experts, and legal scholars concerned about ethical
design practice.
interfaces (UIs) that trick people into interactions that benefit
the service providers. Today, academic research, legal action,
and media cover- age has raised awareness among a diversity of
stakeholders world- wide. Yet, the lens has focused on Western
and English contexts. We propose a Special Interest Group (SIG)
that centres on cross-cultural and interdisciplinary engagement.
The organizing team, who hail from a plurality of nations and
disciplines, will spark discussion by sharing their
knowledge—findings, frameworks, methods, and tools—and
culturally-sensitive perspectives on deception in mod- ern
digital products and services. Attendees will participate in a
small group drawing activity, whereby culturally-specific DPs and
disciplinary perspectives can be surfaced and communicated with-
out reliance on a specific language or cultural frame. This SIG
is expected to draw in a diversity of designers, researchers,
security experts, and legal scholars concerned about ethical
design practice.
Obi, Ike; Gray, Colin M; Chivukula, Shruthi Sai; Duane, Ja-Nae; Johns, Janna; Will, Matthew; Li, Ziqing; Carlock, Thomas
Tracing the history and evolution of dark patterns on Twitter from 2010-2021 Journal Article
In: ACM Transactions on Social Computing, vol. 8, iss. 3-4, pp. Article No. 8, 2025, ISSN: 2469-7818,2469-7826.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Dark Patterns, Legal and Policy Perspectives, Regulation, Social Media, UX Knowledge
@article{Obi2025-hz,
title = {Tracing the history and evolution of dark patterns on Twitter from 2010-2021},
author = {Ike Obi and Colin M Gray and Shruthi Sai Chivukula and Ja-Nae Duane and Janna Johns and Matthew Will and Ziqing Li and Thomas Carlock},
url = {https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3716306},
doi = {10.1145/3716306},
issn = {2469-7818,2469-7826},
year = {2025},
date = {2025-02-04},
urldate = {2025-02-04},
journal = {ACM Transactions on Social Computing},
volume = {8},
issue = {3-4},
pages = {Article No. 8},
publisher = {ACMPUB27New York, NY},
abstract = {Designers’ use of deceptive and manipulative design practices
have become increasingly ubiquitous, impacting users’ ability to
make choices that respect their agency and autonomy. These
practices have been popularly defined through the term “dark
patterns” which has gained attention from designers, privacy
scholars, and more recently, legal scholars and regulators. The
increased interest in the concept of dark patterns across a range
of practitioners and users motivated us to study the evolution of
the concept and highlight the future trajectory of conversations
around dark patterns and similar activist movements that utilize
social computing platforms. In this paper, we examine the history
and evolution of the Twitter discourse around #darkpatterns from
its inception in June 2010 until April 2021, using a combination
of quantitative and qualitative methods to describe how this
discourse has changed over time. We frame these conversations
through a new concept of socio-technical activism, whereby
participants unite in order to identify and fight back against
problematic technology and design practices. We discuss the
potential future trajectories of this discourse and opportunities
for further social computing scholarship at the intersection of
design, policy, and online activism.},
keywords = {Dark Patterns, Legal and Policy Perspectives, Regulation, Social Media, UX Knowledge},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Designers’ use of deceptive and manipulative design practices
have become increasingly ubiquitous, impacting users’ ability to
make choices that respect their agency and autonomy. These
practices have been popularly defined through the term “dark
patterns” which has gained attention from designers, privacy
scholars, and more recently, legal scholars and regulators. The
increased interest in the concept of dark patterns across a range
of practitioners and users motivated us to study the evolution of
the concept and highlight the future trajectory of conversations
around dark patterns and similar activist movements that utilize
social computing platforms. In this paper, we examine the history
and evolution of the Twitter discourse around #darkpatterns from
its inception in June 2010 until April 2021, using a combination
of quantitative and qualitative methods to describe how this
discourse has changed over time. We frame these conversations
through a new concept of socio-technical activism, whereby
participants unite in order to identify and fight back against
problematic technology and design practices. We discuss the
potential future trajectories of this discourse and opportunities
for further social computing scholarship at the intersection of
design, policy, and online activism.
have become increasingly ubiquitous, impacting users’ ability to
make choices that respect their agency and autonomy. These
practices have been popularly defined through the term “dark
patterns” which has gained attention from designers, privacy
scholars, and more recently, legal scholars and regulators. The
increased interest in the concept of dark patterns across a range
of practitioners and users motivated us to study the evolution of
the concept and highlight the future trajectory of conversations
around dark patterns and similar activist movements that utilize
social computing platforms. In this paper, we examine the history
and evolution of the Twitter discourse around #darkpatterns from
its inception in June 2010 until April 2021, using a combination
of quantitative and qualitative methods to describe how this
discourse has changed over time. We frame these conversations
through a new concept of socio-technical activism, whereby
participants unite in order to identify and fight back against
problematic technology and design practices. We discuss the
potential future trajectories of this discourse and opportunities
for further social computing scholarship at the intersection of
design, policy, and online activism.
Chivukula, Sai Shruthi; Gray, Colin M
Universal Methods of Ethical Design Book
Rockport, 2025.
BibTeX | Tags: Design Methods, Ethics and Values, Legal and Policy Perspectives, Regulation, UX Practice
@book{Chivukula2025-gl,
title = {Universal Methods of Ethical Design},
author = {Sai Shruthi Chivukula and Colin M Gray},
year = {2025},
date = {2025-01-01},
urldate = {2025-01-01},
publisher = {Rockport},
keywords = {Design Methods, Ethics and Values, Legal and Policy Perspectives, Regulation, UX Practice},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {book}
}
2024
Gray, Colin M; Gairola, Ritika; Boucaud, Nayah; Hashmi, Maliha; Chivukula, Shruthi Sai; Menon, Ambika R; Duane, Ja-Nae
Legal Trouble?: UX Practitioners' Engagement with Law and Regulation Proceedings Article
In: Companion Publication of the 2024 ACM Designing Interactive Systems Conference, Association for Computing Machinery, Copenhagen, Denmark, 2024.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Dark Patterns, Ethics and Values, Legal and Policy Perspectives, Practice-Led Research, Regulation, UX Knowledge
@inproceedings{Gray2024-lob,
title = {Legal Trouble?: UX Practitioners' Engagement with Law and Regulation},
author = {Colin M Gray and Ritika Gairola and Nayah Boucaud and Maliha Hashmi and Shruthi Sai Chivukula and Ambika R Menon and Ja-Nae Duane},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1145/3656156.3663698
https://colingray.me/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/2024_Grayetal_DISPWIP_LegalTrouble.pdf},
doi = {10.1145/3656156.3663698},
year = {2024},
date = {2024-07-01},
urldate = {2024-07-01},
booktitle = {Companion Publication of the 2024 ACM Designing Interactive
Systems Conference},
publisher = {Association for Computing Machinery},
address = {Copenhagen, Denmark},
series = {DIS '24 Companion},
abstract = {New regulations and legal frameworks are rapidly reshaping the technology landscape, and it is unclear how regulations might impact technology design practices. UX design as a discipline has previously been defined by its complexity and volatility, utilizing multiple forms of knowledge that are often in tension or conflict. In this work-in-progress paper, we ask how UX practitioners address legal and regulatory knowledge as part of their everyday work practices. We present three short case studies of UX practitioners with differing levels of educational and professional experience that worked in different contexts of design practice. We identified how participants understood legal dimensions of their work and engaged with (or were unaware of) legal and regulatory issues as part of their design activity. Across these cases, we reveal key areas of concern and the need for researchers and educators to investigate how UX practices might need to adapt to address legal and regulatory issues alongside other established forms of design or social science knowledge.},
keywords = {Dark Patterns, Ethics and Values, Legal and Policy Perspectives, Practice-Led Research, Regulation, UX Knowledge},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
New regulations and legal frameworks are rapidly reshaping the technology landscape, and it is unclear how regulations might impact technology design practices. UX design as a discipline has previously been defined by its complexity and volatility, utilizing multiple forms of knowledge that are often in tension or conflict. In this work-in-progress paper, we ask how UX practitioners address legal and regulatory knowledge as part of their everyday work practices. We present three short case studies of UX practitioners with differing levels of educational and professional experience that worked in different contexts of design practice. We identified how participants understood legal dimensions of their work and engaged with (or were unaware of) legal and regulatory issues as part of their design activity. Across these cases, we reveal key areas of concern and the need for researchers and educators to investigate how UX practices might need to adapt to address legal and regulatory issues alongside other established forms of design or social science knowledge.
Gray, Colin M; Gunawan, Johanna; Schäfer, René; Bielova, Nataliia; Chamorro, Lorena Sánchez; Seaborn, Katie; Mildner, Thomas; Sandhaus, Hauke (Ed.)
DDPCHI 2024 Mobilizing Research and Regulatory Action on Dark Patterns and Deceptive Design Practices 2024 Proceedings Article
In: Gray, Colin M; Gunawan, Johanna; Schäfer, René; Bielova, Nataliia; Chamorro, Lorena Sánchez; Seaborn, Katie; Mildner, Thomas; Sandhaus, Hauke (Ed.): CEUR Workshop Proceedings, 2024.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Dark Patterns, Design Methods, Legal and Policy Perspectives, Practice-Led Research, Regulation, Research Methods, UX Practice
@inproceedings{Gray2024-fq,
title = {DDPCHI 2024 Mobilizing Research and Regulatory Action on Dark Patterns and Deceptive Design Practices 2024},
editor = {Colin M Gray and Johanna Gunawan and René Schäfer and Nataliia Bielova and Lorena Sánchez Chamorro and Katie Seaborn and Thomas Mildner and Hauke Sandhaus},
url = {https://ceur-ws.org/Vol-3720/},
year = {2024},
date = {2024-07-01},
urldate = {2024-07-01},
publisher = {CEUR Workshop Proceedings},
abstract = {Proceedings of the Workshop Mobilizing Research and Regulatory
Action on Dark Patterns and Deceptive Design Practices (DDPCHI
2024) co-located with the CHI Conference on Human Factors in
Computing Systems (CHI 2024) Hybrid Event, Honolulu, HI, USA, May
11-16, 2024.},
keywords = {Dark Patterns, Design Methods, Legal and Policy Perspectives, Practice-Led Research, Regulation, Research Methods, UX Practice},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
Proceedings of the Workshop Mobilizing Research and Regulatory
Action on Dark Patterns and Deceptive Design Practices (DDPCHI
2024) co-located with the CHI Conference on Human Factors in
Computing Systems (CHI 2024) Hybrid Event, Honolulu, HI, USA, May
11-16, 2024.
Action on Dark Patterns and Deceptive Design Practices (DDPCHI
2024) co-located with the CHI Conference on Human Factors in
Computing Systems (CHI 2024) Hybrid Event, Honolulu, HI, USA, May
11-16, 2024.
Gray, Colin M; Chivukula, Shruthi Sai; Johns, Janna; Will, Matthew; Obi, Ikechukwu; Li, Ziqing
Languaging Ethics in Technology Practice Journal Article
In: Journal of Responsible Computing, vol. 1, iss. 2, no. 15, 2024.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Design Theory, Ethics and Values, Legal and Policy Perspectives, Practice-Led Research, Regulation, UX Practice
@article{Gray2024-mf,
title = {Languaging Ethics in Technology Practice},
author = {Colin M Gray and Shruthi Sai Chivukula and Janna Johns and Matthew Will and Ikechukwu Obi and Ziqing Li},
url = {https://colingray.me/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/2024_Grayetal_JRC_LanguagingEthics.pdf},
doi = {10.1145/3656468},
year = {2024},
date = {2024-06-01},
urldate = {2024-01-01},
journal = {Journal of Responsible Computing},
volume = {1},
number = {15},
issue = {2},
abstract = {Ethics as embodied by technology practitioners resists simple
definition, particularly as it relates to the interplay of
identity, organizational, and professional complexity. In this
paper we use the linguistic notion of languaging as an analytic
lens to describe how technology and design practitioners
negotiate their conception of ethics as they reflect upon their
everyday work. We engaged twelve practitioners in individual
co-creation workshops, encouraging them to reflect on their
ethical role in their everyday work through a series of
generative and evaluative activities. We analyzed these data to
identify how each practitioner reasoned about ethics through
language and artifacts, finding that practitioners used a range
of rhetorical tropes to describe their ethical commitments and
beliefs in ways that were complex and sometimes contradictory.
Across three cases, we describe how ethics was negotiated through
language across three key zones of ecological emergence: the
practitioner's ``core'' beliefs about ethics, internal and
external ecological elements that shaped or mediated these core
beliefs, and the ultimate boundaries they reported refusing to
cross. Building on these findings, we describe how the languaging
of ethics reveals opportunities to definitionally and practically
engage with ethics in technology ethics research, practice, and
education.},
keywords = {Design Theory, Ethics and Values, Legal and Policy Perspectives, Practice-Led Research, Regulation, UX Practice},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Ethics as embodied by technology practitioners resists simple
definition, particularly as it relates to the interplay of
identity, organizational, and professional complexity. In this
paper we use the linguistic notion of languaging as an analytic
lens to describe how technology and design practitioners
negotiate their conception of ethics as they reflect upon their
everyday work. We engaged twelve practitioners in individual
co-creation workshops, encouraging them to reflect on their
ethical role in their everyday work through a series of
generative and evaluative activities. We analyzed these data to
identify how each practitioner reasoned about ethics through
language and artifacts, finding that practitioners used a range
of rhetorical tropes to describe their ethical commitments and
beliefs in ways that were complex and sometimes contradictory.
Across three cases, we describe how ethics was negotiated through
language across three key zones of ecological emergence: the
practitioner's ``core'' beliefs about ethics, internal and
external ecological elements that shaped or mediated these core
beliefs, and the ultimate boundaries they reported refusing to
cross. Building on these findings, we describe how the languaging
of ethics reveals opportunities to definitionally and practically
engage with ethics in technology ethics research, practice, and
education.
definition, particularly as it relates to the interplay of
identity, organizational, and professional complexity. In this
paper we use the linguistic notion of languaging as an analytic
lens to describe how technology and design practitioners
negotiate their conception of ethics as they reflect upon their
everyday work. We engaged twelve practitioners in individual
co-creation workshops, encouraging them to reflect on their
ethical role in their everyday work through a series of
generative and evaluative activities. We analyzed these data to
identify how each practitioner reasoned about ethics through
language and artifacts, finding that practitioners used a range
of rhetorical tropes to describe their ethical commitments and
beliefs in ways that were complex and sometimes contradictory.
Across three cases, we describe how ethics was negotiated through
language across three key zones of ecological emergence: the
practitioner's ``core'' beliefs about ethics, internal and
external ecological elements that shaped or mediated these core
beliefs, and the ultimate boundaries they reported refusing to
cross. Building on these findings, we describe how the languaging
of ethics reveals opportunities to definitionally and practically
engage with ethics in technology ethics research, practice, and
education.
Santos, Cristiana; Gunawan, Johanna; Gray, Colin; Bielova, Nataliia
SoK: Towards Collaborative Evidence Collection in Dark Patterns Enforcement Proceedings Article
In: 8th Workshop on Technology and Consumer Protection (ConPro '24), 2024.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Dark Patterns, Design Knowledge, Legal and Policy Perspectives, Regulation, Transdisciplinarity, UX Knowledge
@inproceedings{Santos2024-hg,
title = {SoK: Towards Collaborative Evidence Collection in Dark Patterns Enforcement},
author = {Cristiana Santos and Johanna Gunawan and Colin Gray and Nataliia Bielova},
url = {https://colingray.me/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/2024_Santosetal_ConPro_CollaborativeEvidenceDarkPatternsEnforcement.pdf},
year = {2024},
date = {2024-06-01},
urldate = {2024-06-01},
booktitle = {8th Workshop on Technology and Consumer Protection (ConPro
'24)},
abstract = {Dark patterns are manipulative, deceptive design practices
deployed in online services aimed at influencing the decisions
of users about their purchases, use of time, and disclosure of
personal data. Further efforts are needed in both scholarship
and enforcement to more effectively prevent the use of dark
patterns with deeper sharing of expertise across both fields,
but operationalizing such collaborations requires resolving
interdisciplinary differences. In this project, we examine
case-law and scholarly CS articles on dark patterns to directly
compare the investigatory and evidentiary methods used by courts
and scholars towards the purpose of improving collaboration
across both fields.},
keywords = {Dark Patterns, Design Knowledge, Legal and Policy Perspectives, Regulation, Transdisciplinarity, UX Knowledge},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
Dark patterns are manipulative, deceptive design practices
deployed in online services aimed at influencing the decisions
of users about their purchases, use of time, and disclosure of
personal data. Further efforts are needed in both scholarship
and enforcement to more effectively prevent the use of dark
patterns with deeper sharing of expertise across both fields,
but operationalizing such collaborations requires resolving
interdisciplinary differences. In this project, we examine
case-law and scholarly CS articles on dark patterns to directly
compare the investigatory and evidentiary methods used by courts
and scholars towards the purpose of improving collaboration
across both fields.
deployed in online services aimed at influencing the decisions
of users about their purchases, use of time, and disclosure of
personal data. Further efforts are needed in both scholarship
and enforcement to more effectively prevent the use of dark
patterns with deeper sharing of expertise across both fields,
but operationalizing such collaborations requires resolving
interdisciplinary differences. In this project, we examine
case-law and scholarly CS articles on dark patterns to directly
compare the investigatory and evidentiary methods used by courts
and scholars towards the purpose of improving collaboration
across both fields.
Gray, Colin M; Gunawan, Johanna; Schäfer, René; Bielova, Nataliia; Chamorro, Lorena Sánchez; Seaborn, Katie; Mildner, Thomas; Sandhaus, Hauke
Mobilizing Research and Regulatory Action on Dark Patterns and Deceptive Design Practices Proceedings Article Forthcoming
In: Extended Abstracts of the CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI EA '24), Forthcoming.
Links | BibTeX | Tags: Dark Patterns, Legal and Policy Perspectives, Regulation
@inproceedings{Gray2024-lo,
title = {Mobilizing Research and Regulatory Action on Dark Patterns and Deceptive Design Practices},
author = {Colin M Gray and Johanna Gunawan and René Schäfer and Nataliia Bielova and Lorena Sánchez Chamorro and Katie Seaborn and Thomas Mildner and Hauke Sandhaus},
url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1145/3613905.3636310
https://colingray.me/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/2024_Grayetal_CHI_DarkPatternsWorkshop.pdf},
doi = {10.1145/3613905.3636310},
year = {2024},
date = {2024-05-01},
urldate = {2024-05-01},
booktitle = {Extended Abstracts of the CHI Conference on Human Factors in
Computing Systems (CHI EA '24)},
keywords = {Dark Patterns, Legal and Policy Perspectives, Regulation},
pubstate = {forthcoming},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
Gray, Colin M; Santos, Cristiana; Bielova, Nataliia; Mildner, Thomas
An Ontology of Dark Patterns Knowledge: Foundations, Definitions, and a Pathway for Shared Knowledge-Building Proceedings Article Forthcoming
In: CHI'24: Proceedings of the 2024 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, ACM Press, Forthcoming.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Dark Patterns, Legal and Policy Perspectives, Regulation
@inproceedings{Gray2023-yt,
title = {An Ontology of Dark Patterns Knowledge: Foundations, Definitions, and a Pathway for Shared Knowledge-Building},
author = {Colin M Gray and Cristiana Santos and Nataliia Bielova and Thomas Mildner},
url = {https://colingray.me/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/2024_Grayetal_CHI_OntologyDarkPatterns.pdf},
doi = {10.1145/3613904.3642436},
year = {2024},
date = {2024-05-01},
urldate = {2023-09-01},
booktitle = {CHI'24: Proceedings of the 2024 CHI Conference on Human
Factors in Computing Systems},
publisher = {ACM Press},
abstract = {Deceptive and coercive design practices are increasingly used by
companies to extract profit, harvest data, and limit consumer
choice. Dark patterns represent the most common contemporary
amalgamation of these problematic practices, connecting
designers, technologists, scholars, regulators, and legal
professionals in transdisciplinary dialogue. However, a lack of
universally accepted definitions across the academic,
legislative and regulatory space has likely limited the impact
that scholarship on dark patterns might have in supporting
sanctions and evolved design practices. In this paper, we seek
to support the development of a shared language of dark
patterns, harmonizing ten existing regulatory and academic
taxonomies of dark patterns and proposing a three-level ontology
with standardized definitions for 65 synthesized dark patterns
types across low-, meso-, and high-level patterns. We illustrate
how this ontology can support translational research and
regulatory action, including pathways to extend our initial
types through new empirical work and map across application
domains.},
keywords = {Dark Patterns, Legal and Policy Perspectives, Regulation},
pubstate = {forthcoming},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
Deceptive and coercive design practices are increasingly used by
companies to extract profit, harvest data, and limit consumer
choice. Dark patterns represent the most common contemporary
amalgamation of these problematic practices, connecting
designers, technologists, scholars, regulators, and legal
professionals in transdisciplinary dialogue. However, a lack of
universally accepted definitions across the academic,
legislative and regulatory space has likely limited the impact
that scholarship on dark patterns might have in supporting
sanctions and evolved design practices. In this paper, we seek
to support the development of a shared language of dark
patterns, harmonizing ten existing regulatory and academic
taxonomies of dark patterns and proposing a three-level ontology
with standardized definitions for 65 synthesized dark patterns
types across low-, meso-, and high-level patterns. We illustrate
how this ontology can support translational research and
regulatory action, including pathways to extend our initial
types through new empirical work and map across application
domains.
companies to extract profit, harvest data, and limit consumer
choice. Dark patterns represent the most common contemporary
amalgamation of these problematic practices, connecting
designers, technologists, scholars, regulators, and legal
professionals in transdisciplinary dialogue. However, a lack of
universally accepted definitions across the academic,
legislative and regulatory space has likely limited the impact
that scholarship on dark patterns might have in supporting
sanctions and evolved design practices. In this paper, we seek
to support the development of a shared language of dark
patterns, harmonizing ten existing regulatory and academic
taxonomies of dark patterns and proposing a three-level ontology
with standardized definitions for 65 synthesized dark patterns
types across low-, meso-, and high-level patterns. We illustrate
how this ontology can support translational research and
regulatory action, including pathways to extend our initial
types through new empirical work and map across application
domains.
Bielova, Nataliia; Santos, Cristiana; Gray, Colin M
Two worlds apart! Closing the gap between regulating EU consent and user studies Journal Article
In: Harvard Journal of Law & Technology, vol. 37, no. 3, pp. 1295–1333, 2024.
Abstract | BibTeX | Tags: Consent Banners, Dark Patterns, Legal and Policy Perspectives, Regulation, Research Methods, UX Knowledge
@article{Bielova2024-zr,
title = {Two worlds apart! Closing the gap between regulating EU consent and user studies},
author = {Nataliia Bielova and Cristiana Santos and Colin M Gray},
year = {2024},
date = {2024-01-01},
urldate = {2024-01-01},
journal = {Harvard Journal of Law & Technology},
volume = {37},
number = {3},
pages = {1295–1333},
abstract = {The EU ePrivacy Directive requires consent before using cookies
or other tracking technologies, while the EU General Data
Protection Regulation (``GDPR'') sets high-level and
principle-based requirements for such consent to be valid.
However, the translation of such requirements into concrete
design interfaces for consent banners is far from
straightforward. This situation has given rise to the use of
manipulative tactics in user experience (``UX''), commonly known
as dark patterns, which influence users' decision-making and may
violate the GDPR requirements for valid consent. To address this
problem, EU regulators aim to interpret GDPR requirements and to
limit the design space of consent banners within their
guidelines. Academic researchers from various disciplines address
the same problem by performing user studies to evaluate the
impact of design and dark patterns on users' decision making.
Regrettably, the guidelines and user studies rarely impact each
other. In this Essay, we collected and analyzed seventeen
official guidelines issued by EU regulators and the EU Data
Protection Board (``EDPB''), as well as eleven consent-focused
empirical user studies which we thoroughly studied from a User
Interface (``UI'') design perspective. We identified numerous
gaps between consent banner designs recommended by regulators and
those evaluated in user studies. By doing so, we contribute to
both the regulatory discourse and future user studies. We
pinpoint EU regulatory inconsistencies and provide actionable
recommendations for regulators. For academic scholars, we
synthesize insights on design elements discussed by regulators
requiring further user study evaluations. Finally, we recommend
that EDPB and EU regulators, alongside usability, Human-Computer
Interaction (``HCI''), and design researchers, engage in
transdisciplinary dialogue in order to close the gap between EU
guidelines and user studies.},
keywords = {Consent Banners, Dark Patterns, Legal and Policy Perspectives, Regulation, Research Methods, UX Knowledge},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
The EU ePrivacy Directive requires consent before using cookies
or other tracking technologies, while the EU General Data
Protection Regulation (``GDPR'') sets high-level and
principle-based requirements for such consent to be valid.
However, the translation of such requirements into concrete
design interfaces for consent banners is far from
straightforward. This situation has given rise to the use of
manipulative tactics in user experience (``UX''), commonly known
as dark patterns, which influence users' decision-making and may
violate the GDPR requirements for valid consent. To address this
problem, EU regulators aim to interpret GDPR requirements and to
limit the design space of consent banners within their
guidelines. Academic researchers from various disciplines address
the same problem by performing user studies to evaluate the
impact of design and dark patterns on users' decision making.
Regrettably, the guidelines and user studies rarely impact each
other. In this Essay, we collected and analyzed seventeen
official guidelines issued by EU regulators and the EU Data
Protection Board (``EDPB''), as well as eleven consent-focused
empirical user studies which we thoroughly studied from a User
Interface (``UI'') design perspective. We identified numerous
gaps between consent banner designs recommended by regulators and
those evaluated in user studies. By doing so, we contribute to
both the regulatory discourse and future user studies. We
pinpoint EU regulatory inconsistencies and provide actionable
recommendations for regulators. For academic scholars, we
synthesize insights on design elements discussed by regulators
requiring further user study evaluations. Finally, we recommend
that EDPB and EU regulators, alongside usability, Human-Computer
Interaction (``HCI''), and design researchers, engage in
transdisciplinary dialogue in order to close the gap between EU
guidelines and user studies.
or other tracking technologies, while the EU General Data
Protection Regulation (``GDPR'') sets high-level and
principle-based requirements for such consent to be valid.
However, the translation of such requirements into concrete
design interfaces for consent banners is far from
straightforward. This situation has given rise to the use of
manipulative tactics in user experience (``UX''), commonly known
as dark patterns, which influence users' decision-making and may
violate the GDPR requirements for valid consent. To address this
problem, EU regulators aim to interpret GDPR requirements and to
limit the design space of consent banners within their
guidelines. Academic researchers from various disciplines address
the same problem by performing user studies to evaluate the
impact of design and dark patterns on users' decision making.
Regrettably, the guidelines and user studies rarely impact each
other. In this Essay, we collected and analyzed seventeen
official guidelines issued by EU regulators and the EU Data
Protection Board (``EDPB''), as well as eleven consent-focused
empirical user studies which we thoroughly studied from a User
Interface (``UI'') design perspective. We identified numerous
gaps between consent banner designs recommended by regulators and
those evaluated in user studies. By doing so, we contribute to
both the regulatory discourse and future user studies. We
pinpoint EU regulatory inconsistencies and provide actionable
recommendations for regulators. For academic scholars, we
synthesize insights on design elements discussed by regulators
requiring further user study evaluations. Finally, we recommend
that EDPB and EU regulators, alongside usability, Human-Computer
Interaction (``HCI''), and design researchers, engage in
transdisciplinary dialogue in order to close the gap between EU
guidelines and user studies.
2023
Gray, Colin M; Mildner, Thomas; Bielova, Nataliia
Arxiv Preprint, 2023.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Dark Patterns, Ethics and Values, Legal and Policy Perspectives, Regulation, Research Methods
@unpublished{Gray2023-bs,
title = {Temporal Analysis of Dark Patterns: A Case Study of a User's Odyssey to Conquer Prime Membership Cancellation through the "Iliad Flow"},
author = {Colin M Gray and Thomas Mildner and Nataliia Bielova},
url = {http://arxiv.org/abs/2309.09635},
year = {2023},
date = {2023-09-01},
urldate = {2023-09-01},
abstract = {Dark patterns are ubiquitous in digital systems, impacting
users throughout their journeys on many popular apps and
websites. While substantial efforts from the research
community in the last five years have led to consolidated
taxonomies of dark patterns, including an emerging ontology,
most applications of these descriptors have been focused on
analysis of static images or as isolated pattern types. In
this paper, we present a case study of Amazon Prime's
``Iliad Flow'' to illustrate the interplay of dark patterns
across a user journey, grounded in insights from a US
Federal Trade Commission complaint against the company. We
use this case study to lay the groundwork for a methodology
of Temporal Analysis of Dark Patterns (TADP), including
considerations for characterization of individual dark
patterns across a user journey, combinatorial effects of
multiple dark patterns types, and implications for expert
detection and automated detection.},
howpublished = {Arxiv Preprint},
keywords = {Dark Patterns, Ethics and Values, Legal and Policy Perspectives, Regulation, Research Methods},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {unpublished}
}
Dark patterns are ubiquitous in digital systems, impacting
users throughout their journeys on many popular apps and
websites. While substantial efforts from the research
community in the last five years have led to consolidated
taxonomies of dark patterns, including an emerging ontology,
most applications of these descriptors have been focused on
analysis of static images or as isolated pattern types. In
this paper, we present a case study of Amazon Prime's
``Iliad Flow'' to illustrate the interplay of dark patterns
across a user journey, grounded in insights from a US
Federal Trade Commission complaint against the company. We
use this case study to lay the groundwork for a methodology
of Temporal Analysis of Dark Patterns (TADP), including
considerations for characterization of individual dark
patterns across a user journey, combinatorial effects of
multiple dark patterns types, and implications for expert
detection and automated detection.
users throughout their journeys on many popular apps and
websites. While substantial efforts from the research
community in the last five years have led to consolidated
taxonomies of dark patterns, including an emerging ontology,
most applications of these descriptors have been focused on
analysis of static images or as isolated pattern types. In
this paper, we present a case study of Amazon Prime's
``Iliad Flow'' to illustrate the interplay of dark patterns
across a user journey, grounded in insights from a US
Federal Trade Commission complaint against the company. We
use this case study to lay the groundwork for a methodology
of Temporal Analysis of Dark Patterns (TADP), including
considerations for characterization of individual dark
patterns across a user journey, combinatorial effects of
multiple dark patterns types, and implications for expert
detection and automated detection.
Gray, Colin M; Santos, Cristiana; Bielova, Nataliia; Mildner, Thomas
Arxiv Preprint, 2023.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Dark Patterns, Ethics and Values, Legal and Policy Perspectives, Regulation
@unpublished{Gray2023-nv,
title = {An Ontology of Dark Patterns Knowledge: Foundations, Definitions, and a Pathway for Shared Knowledge-Building},
author = {Colin M Gray and Cristiana Santos and Nataliia Bielova and Thomas Mildner},
url = {http://arxiv.org/abs/2309.09640},
year = {2023},
date = {2023-09-01},
urldate = {2023-09-01},
abstract = {Deceptive and coercive design practices are increasingly
used by companies to extract profit, harvest data, and limit
consumer choice. Dark patterns represent the most common
contemporary amalgamation of these problematic practices,
connecting designers, technologists, scholars, regulators,
and legal professionals in transdisciplinary dialogue.
However, a lack of universally accepted definitions across
the academic, legislative and regulatory space has likely
limited the impact that scholarship on dark patterns might
have in supporting sanctions and evolved design practices.
In this paper, we seek to support the development of a
shared language of dark patterns, harmonizing ten existing
regulatory and academic taxonomies of dark patterns and
proposing a three-level ontology with standardized
definitions for 65 synthesized dark patterns types across
low-, meso-, and high-level patterns. We illustrate how this
ontology can support translational research and regulatory
action, including pathways to extend our initial types
through new empirical work and map across application
domains.},
howpublished = {Arxiv Preprint},
keywords = {Dark Patterns, Ethics and Values, Legal and Policy Perspectives, Regulation},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {unpublished}
}
Deceptive and coercive design practices are increasingly
used by companies to extract profit, harvest data, and limit
consumer choice. Dark patterns represent the most common
contemporary amalgamation of these problematic practices,
connecting designers, technologists, scholars, regulators,
and legal professionals in transdisciplinary dialogue.
However, a lack of universally accepted definitions across
the academic, legislative and regulatory space has likely
limited the impact that scholarship on dark patterns might
have in supporting sanctions and evolved design practices.
In this paper, we seek to support the development of a
shared language of dark patterns, harmonizing ten existing
regulatory and academic taxonomies of dark patterns and
proposing a three-level ontology with standardized
definitions for 65 synthesized dark patterns types across
low-, meso-, and high-level patterns. We illustrate how this
ontology can support translational research and regulatory
action, including pathways to extend our initial types
through new empirical work and map across application
domains.
used by companies to extract profit, harvest data, and limit
consumer choice. Dark patterns represent the most common
contemporary amalgamation of these problematic practices,
connecting designers, technologists, scholars, regulators,
and legal professionals in transdisciplinary dialogue.
However, a lack of universally accepted definitions across
the academic, legislative and regulatory space has likely
limited the impact that scholarship on dark patterns might
have in supporting sanctions and evolved design practices.
In this paper, we seek to support the development of a
shared language of dark patterns, harmonizing ten existing
regulatory and academic taxonomies of dark patterns and
proposing a three-level ontology with standardized
definitions for 65 synthesized dark patterns types across
low-, meso-, and high-level patterns. We illustrate how this
ontology can support translational research and regulatory
action, including pathways to extend our initial types
through new empirical work and map across application
domains.
Gray, Colin M; Santos, Cristiana; Bielova, Nataliia
Towards a Preliminary Ontology of Dark Patterns Knowledge Proceedings Article
In: Extended Abstracts of the 2023 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI EA '23), 2023.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Dark Patterns, Ethics and Values, Regulation, Transdisciplinarity
@inproceedings{Gray2023-ds,
title = {Towards a Preliminary Ontology of Dark Patterns Knowledge},
author = {Colin M Gray and Cristiana Santos and Nataliia Bielova},
url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1145/3544549.3585676
https://colingray.me/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/2023_GraySantosBielova_CHIBLW_OntologyDarkPatterns.pdf},
doi = {10.1145/3544549.3585676},
year = {2023},
date = {2023-01-01},
urldate = {2023-01-01},
booktitle = {Extended Abstracts of the 2023 CHI Conference on Human Factors
in Computing Systems (CHI EA '23)},
abstract = {Deceptive design practices are increasingly used by companies to
extract profit, harvest data, and limit consumer choice. Dark
patterns represent the most common contemporary amalgamation of
these problematic practices, connecting designers,
technologists, scholars, regulators, and legal professionals in
transdisciplinary dialogue. However, a lack of universally
accepted definitions across the academic, legislative and
regulatory space has likely limited the impact that scholarship
on dark patterns might have in supporting sanctions and evolved
design practices. In this late breaking work, we seek to
harmonize regulatory and academic taxonomies of dark patterns,
proposing a preliminary three-level ontology to create a shared
language that supports translational research and regulatory
action. We identify potential directions for scholarship and
social impact building upon this ontology.},
keywords = {Dark Patterns, Ethics and Values, Regulation, Transdisciplinarity},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
Deceptive design practices are increasingly used by companies to
extract profit, harvest data, and limit consumer choice. Dark
patterns represent the most common contemporary amalgamation of
these problematic practices, connecting designers,
technologists, scholars, regulators, and legal professionals in
transdisciplinary dialogue. However, a lack of universally
accepted definitions across the academic, legislative and
regulatory space has likely limited the impact that scholarship
on dark patterns might have in supporting sanctions and evolved
design practices. In this late breaking work, we seek to
harmonize regulatory and academic taxonomies of dark patterns,
proposing a preliminary three-level ontology to create a shared
language that supports translational research and regulatory
action. We identify potential directions for scholarship and
social impact building upon this ontology.
extract profit, harvest data, and limit consumer choice. Dark
patterns represent the most common contemporary amalgamation of
these problematic practices, connecting designers,
technologists, scholars, regulators, and legal professionals in
transdisciplinary dialogue. However, a lack of universally
accepted definitions across the academic, legislative and
regulatory space has likely limited the impact that scholarship
on dark patterns might have in supporting sanctions and evolved
design practices. In this late breaking work, we seek to
harmonize regulatory and academic taxonomies of dark patterns,
proposing a preliminary three-level ontology to create a shared
language that supports translational research and regulatory
action. We identify potential directions for scholarship and
social impact building upon this ontology.
2021
Gray, Colin M; Santos, Cristiana; Bielova, Nataliia; Toth, Michael; Clifford, Damian
Dark Patterns and the Legal Requirements of Consent Banners: An Interaction Criticism Perspective Honorable Mention Proceedings Article
In: Proceedings of the 2021 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, 2021.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Consent Banners, Dark Patterns, Ethics and Values, Legal and Policy Perspectives, Regulation
@inproceedings{Gray2021,
title = {Dark Patterns and the Legal Requirements of Consent Banners: An Interaction Criticism Perspective},
author = {Colin M Gray and Cristiana Santos and Nataliia Bielova and Michael Toth and Damian Clifford},
url = {http://arxiv.org/abs/2009.10194},
doi = {10.1145/3411764.3445779},
year = {2021},
date = {2021-05-01},
urldate = {2021-05-01},
booktitle = {Proceedings of the 2021 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems},
abstract = {User engagement with data privacy and security through consent banners has become a ubiquitous part of interacting with internet services. While previous work has addressed consent banners from either interaction design, legal, and ethics-focused perspectives, little research addresses the connections among multiple disciplinary approaches, including tensions and opportunities that transcend disciplinary boundaries. In this paper, we draw together perspectives and commentary from HCI, design, privacy and data protection, and legal research communities, using the language and strategies of "dark patterns" to perform an interaction criticism reading of three different types of consent banners. Our analysis builds upon designer, interface, user, and social context lenses to raise tensions and synergies that arise together in complex, contingent, and conflicting ways in the act of designing consent banners. We conclude with opportunities for transdisciplinary dialogue across legal, ethical, computer science, and interactive systems scholarship to translate matters of ethical concern into public policy.},
keywords = {Consent Banners, Dark Patterns, Ethics and Values, Legal and Policy Perspectives, Regulation},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
User engagement with data privacy and security through consent banners has become a ubiquitous part of interacting with internet services. While previous work has addressed consent banners from either interaction design, legal, and ethics-focused perspectives, little research addresses the connections among multiple disciplinary approaches, including tensions and opportunities that transcend disciplinary boundaries. In this paper, we draw together perspectives and commentary from HCI, design, privacy and data protection, and legal research communities, using the language and strategies of "dark patterns" to perform an interaction criticism reading of three different types of consent banners. Our analysis builds upon designer, interface, user, and social context lenses to raise tensions and synergies that arise together in complex, contingent, and conflicting ways in the act of designing consent banners. We conclude with opportunities for transdisciplinary dialogue across legal, ethical, computer science, and interactive systems scholarship to translate matters of ethical concern into public policy.