In today’s digitally driven world, user consent has become a cornerstone of data privacy mediated through cookie banners. While these mechanisms are intended to allow users data management control, interface design implementing dark patterns can undermine truly informed consent. This literature review explores the intersection of cookie consent practices, privacy regulations, and digital literacy, particularly focusing on disparities between the Global North and Global South. Despite a rapid increase in global privacy laws, much of the existing research and enforcement efforts remain centered in technologically advanced countries. This creates a research gap around how users in the Global South interact with digital consent tools amid lower digital literacy and weaker regulatory frameworks. The review highlights how interface design can manipulate user choices and disproportionately impact underrepresented populations. By synthesizing current research, this paper advocates for inclusive privacy frameworks that account for regional digital inequalities and user vulnerabilities.
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Digital Literacy Challenges: A Literature Review on the Prevalence of Dark Patterns and its effect in the Global South
Reviews research at the junction of cookie consent, privacy regulation and digital literacy, arguing that studies and enforcement concentrate on wealthy countries while users across the Global South face manipulative consent interfaces with less literacy and weaker law.