LinkedIn: Training AI on your content
Data, AI, consent. We’ve hit a point where more and more companies use your content to enrich themselves, often without asking first.
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Figma: How to opt out of AI features?
In early 2025, Figma rolled out AI features that came with a surprise: the company had automatically opted all users in to have their design files used for AI training.
Mailchimp: Sign-up process
Mailchimp's sign-up process uses a common deceptive tactic known as the "Trick Question".
HRAcuity: Unnecessary cookie wall
The HRAcuity website uses a dark pattern by forcing users to accept cookies in order to access a video.
Amazon: How to cancel Audible subscription?
The process follow some of the classic patterns out of dark patterns book designed to complicate the process.
Phosus: Pre-selected newsletter updates
At first glance, this sign-up screen may look straightforward, but it uses a subtle dark pattern known as "pre-selection" to automatically opt users in to receive marketing emails.
Groww: Checkbox preselection for credit score check
The app offers a “pre-approved” loan with a “Get started” button, but a pre-checked box below quietly grants permission to check your credit score.
LinkedIn: How to cancel LinkedIn Premium subscription?
Canceling a subscription should be simple. But often, it’s not. The user experience design that promises ease and transparency can sometimes serve other purposes, like making it harder to cancel a service.
StubHub: Dark patterns in event ticket sales
In August 2024, the Washington, D.C. attorney general filed a lawsuit accusing StubHub of deceptive practices.
X: Your data - our data
X recently introduced a new setting that allows them to use the content you posts to train their AI, Grok.
Reddit: See Reddit in...
Reddit's persistent push for users to download its app, despite clear signs of disinterest, is an example of a classic dark pattern known as "nagging."
TikTok: Nagging dark patterns
Despite repeatedly declining access to notifications and contacts, TikTok persistently asks for these permissions.
TradingView: Emotional subscription cancellation
The cancellation process of TradingView is a great example of how companies manipulate users' emotions when cancelling their subscriptions.
DoorDash: How to cancel DashPass subscription?
DoorDash DashPass subscription cancellation process. These steps reveal several dark patterns designed to make you think twice about cancelling.
HelloFresh: How to cancel HelloFresh subscription?
The Roach Motel is a common dark pattern used to trick people into subscription. HelloFresh uses this strategy to lower their cancellation rates.
Green Man Gaming: Check to unsubscribe
Classic example of a dark pattern during a checkout process - "Trick question".
Dribbble: Dark patterns in subscription cancellation
Dribbble's cancellation process, showcases classic signs of the Roach Motel pattern.
Oodie: Online shopping guilt
In the intricate web of online user experiences, websites often deploy subtle tactics to guide user behavior.
Lyft: The misleading 60% off
In the digital landscape, advertisers continually push the boundaries to grab our attention. A prime method for this? The promise of unbeatable discounts.
Thirdwork.xyz retains subscribers with a deceptive dark pattern
Emails marketing is one of the ways for platforms to drive sales and generate revenue.
Coursera: Tricky enrollment process
As the world continues to rely on e-learning platforms to access education, it's becoming increasingly important to understand how these platforms operate.
London Zoo's ticket purchase process
Visitors looking to purchase tickets on the zoo's website might notice a dark pattern called misdirection, which is used to encourage donations.
Wish.com Confirmashaming dark pattern
Confirmashaming refers to the use of guilt or shame to influence a user's decision-making process when presented with a question.
Netflix's misdirection: Hiding the pricing tier
The company has recently come under fire for using dark patterns to mislead customers into paying for more expensive plans.
Which?: Classic usage of a Roach Motel dark pattern
"Which?" uses a classic dark pattern called the "Roach Motel" to trap its users and keep them subscribed.