Scientific American was reported to the Deceptive Design Tip Line over its cookie notice. According to the report, when a magazine subscriber logs in the opening page is overlaid with a “COOKIES” notice that must be approved before any content is shown. The report states that, read far enough, the notice discloses that the visitor’s browsing and other information is conveyed or sold to others who may wish to market to them, with no simple way to refuse; the only alternative is to abandon the session.
‹ All examples Scientific American
Scientific American: no clear route to opt out of ad tracking
“When a subscriber to the magazine logs in, the opening page is overlaid with a “COOKIES” notice which requires approval before content is displayed. In this notice, if one reads far enough, it is disclosed that your browsing and other information is conveyed (sold) to others who may be interested in marketing to the viewer. There is no simple right of refusal to this. One can only abandon the session.”
Disclaimer: examples in the Hall of Shame are generally drawn from public submissions and cited sources; they have not been independently verified and may contain inaccuracies. They are presented as illustrations of design patterns, not findings of fact, unlawful conduct, or intent.