Dovetail Calls for ‘Design Empowerment’ as New Research Reveals Online Consumers Are Still Falling Victim to Dark Patterns

Dovetail, the platform, published a research study measuring the negative impact dark patterns have on online consumers and social media users. The study surveyed 1,000 e-commerce and social media users between the ages of 18 and 54. It found that despite regulatory efforts and the best efforts of most designers, dark patterns persist in tactics such as false countdown animations, highly charged wording, and roadblocks to cheaper purchases.

The research showed that dark website patterns cause real financial loss for customers. Nearly 63% of survey respondents said they’d had to actively ‘deselect’ supplementary products or services that were added automatically during checkout. A further 62% said they’d been intentionally guided—with designs such as brightly colored buttons—toward more expensive products as they shopped online.

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According to Dovetail founder and CEO Benjamin Humphrey, the ongoing use of dark patterns across well-known brands and social media erodes the trust of people who shop online and use social platforms. The survey bears this out: nearly 56% of respondents said they’d lost trust in a website or social media platform because of its manipulative dark patterns. Humphrey’s company wants to empower designers to advocate for better designs based on :

“Deceptive dark patterns are nothing new, but the problem is that dark patterns are infinitely more clever as the stakes get higher: what was once a nuisance on an off-the-beaten-track user experience, is now a gamble on privacy, data sharing, and high-stakes unintended financial consequences. We’re on a mission to empower designers, call out dark patterns, and stand up for the customer through informed design. We are very lucky to be working with companies that are true ambassadors of responsible, sustainable design, driven by honest, effective . The combination is creating products and services that people love, and, more importantly, building long-term trust and loyalty among these brands.”

Humphrey says the stark reality for brands relying on dark patterns is lost revenue. The survey findings back up his stance: over 43% of online shoppers had stopped buying from an online retailer because of dark patterns. Online shopping emerged as the worst offender—41% said it was where they most often experienced dark patterns—while social media also ranked high, with 37% of respondents naming it the most frequent offender.

Critically, over 40% of respondents said they’d experienced unplanned financial consequences due to dark patterns. This included clicking ‘yes’ to purchase more expensive items when cheaper options were made insufficiently visible, or being rushed through purchases with prompts.

The underlying threat of running out of time, combined with perceived supply (‘last one left’) and demand (‘most popular’), is clearly a tactic businesses use online. Over 65% of internet users in the study said they’d been rushed through an online transaction by notifications urging them to hurry due to limited supply—including transactions on online travel sites, such as airline seat booking.

Not everyone encounters dark patterns daily—only 40% said they encounter them ‘frequently’ or ‘often.’ But the people affected are clearly annoyed: 41.3% agreed with the statement ‘I can’t stand it, and companies need to stop it,’ and a further 43.6% agreed with ‘I’m irritated.’

In the United States, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has taken action against companies using deceptive dark patterns. It can investigate and enforce actions against businesses that engage in deceptive practices. In September 2022, the FTC announced a $520 million settlement with video gaming giant Epic Games over allegations that it had deceived users into making unintentional purchases.