Deceptive Patterns
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Learn how to spot dark patterns online & when to report them to us!

Author
Government of Canada - Office of Consumer Affairs
Date
19 May 2023
Category
Regulator or Lawmaker

DYK? #DarkPatterns are a type of web or app design that can be used to influence your decision making online. Don’t be fooled! The Office of Consumer Affairs can help you learn to spot dark patterns and protect yourself from them.

If you’ve ever felt as though you were giving more time, money or personal data than you were comfortable with while using an e-commerce app or website, you may have fallen for dark commercial patterns. This page will help you better understand dark patterns and learn how to spot them next time you’re navigating through your favourite applications (apps) or websites.