Filed under: Crimes Against Usability
Status: Case 006 – Active Investigation
Subject: Death by Dark Patterns
Case Summary
The body was found face-down in a “free trial,” pockets emptied by hidden fees. No exit wounds — because there was no exit. Just a maze of print forms, fake buttons, and guilt-soaked choices dressed up as UX.
This wasn’t death by accident. It was premeditated manipulation: a textbook case of dark patterns. Exhibit 006 pulls the sheet back, names the guilty, and shows how trust can bleed out faster than a conversion chart spikes.
The Evidence
- Users encounting dark patterns in apps 95%
- Sites / apps displaying at least one dark pattern 75%
- Sites / apps displaying more than one dark pattern 66%
Users remember how you made them feel more than how “clever” your growth hack was. If you erode trust you’ve lost them (probably forever).
Sources:
Exhibits
Exhibit A: The Vanishing ‘X’
Pop-up lands before you even breathe. The close button is camouflaged, blending into the background like it’s in witness protection. You click, squint, curse, and click again. Instead of giving people a choice, you’ve turned a welcome into a puzzle no one asked to solve. A digital hostage situation disguised as “engagement.”
Exhibit B: Forced Continuity
It starts with the glowing promise of a FREE TRIAL. But the moment you step inside, the doors lock behind you and suddenly you’re paying £299 a month for the Enterprise Unicorn Tier. Want to cancel? Good luck — the escape route requires six steps, three forms, a fax machine, and probably a goat sacrifice. Exhibit B shows how “free” becomes the most expensive word in UX.
Exhibit C: Confirmshaming
Unsubscribe or decline an offer? Sure — but not without a side of manipulation. You’re presented with buttons that sneer: “I’m in!” or “No thanks, I’d rather go to hell.” Instead of dignity, users get gaslighted into guilt. This isn’t clever branding — it’s passive-aggressive theatre, and the only thing it earns is contempt. Exhibit C proves that shaming your customers is the fastest route to losing them.
Motive
Follow the money.
Dark patterns persist because they juice short-term metrics:
- Higher conversion rates
- Fewer cancellations
- Inflated “engagement” to flash at stakeholders
But the trade-off is brutal:
⚠️ Trust corrodes.
⚠️ Customer churn skyrockets.
⚠️ Regulators eventually come knocking—with a hefty bill.
Guilty As Charged
Vonage — ~$100M refunds (FTC)
Forced by the FTC to provide nearly $100 million in refunds and simplify its cancellation process after being caught using dark patterns and junk fees.
Sources:
Federal Trade Commission
Epic Games — ~$250M settlement
Faced a $520 million settlement with the FTC— $245M in refunds for dark-pattern trickery plus $275M for COPPA violations.
Sources:
Investopedia
Sentencing
🪓 Crimes against humanity’s patience.
Dark patterns are not “growth hacks.” They’re cheap tricks that destroy trust. Stop burying cancel buttons like buried treasure. Stop tricking people into purchases with manipulative copy. Design for consent, not con.