Dark Patterns Come to Light in California Data Privacy Laws -

Imagine this scenario: You are navigating through a website or watching an in-app ad, when suddenly you are redirected to a subscription page, even though you have no interest in the product being marketed to you. Later on, you come across a platform that you actually want to use, but in order to do so, you are required to sign up for a seven-day free trial. Unbeknownst to you, after the free trial period ends, you are charged a subscription fee. When you try to cancel the subscription, the website or app forces you to click through multiple screens, scroll through numerous panes, and check several boxes to do so. Instead of going through the arduous process, you abandon the task and continue paying for the subscription.

If these online experiences sound familiar to you, you are one of countless consumers who has been a victim of a dark pattern.