An analysis of about 12,000 screens from 53 leading apps in various sectors showed about three deceptive patterns per app. The study emphasised the need for clear and honest design to enhance user trust and transparency.
Varuni Khosla
Published1 Aug 2024, 07:40 PM IST
Privacy deception was found to be the main concern which manipulated Indian users into unknowingly sharing more personal data than intended
Health-tech apps had the highest number of deceptive practices that manipulate users to make unintended purchases, followed by travel booking and fintech apps, a study by the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) showed.
An average of about three deceptive patterns were found in each app, according to the report of the study published on Thursday. Over 12,000 screens from apps across nine industries were analysed.
The common ‘dark patterns’ include privacy deception, prevalent in 79% of the apps, along with interface interference and drip pricing. Interface interference highlights certain parts of the interface and hides others, misdirecting users into taking an action. In drip pricing, additional fees are introduced gradually through the purchase process, making the final price higher than originally quoted.
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Almost every single app across categories in India – 52 of the 53 most popular apps – used deceptive design practices, or dark patterns, to influence users into making purchases.