Dark patterns are special tricks used in the interface of applications and websites that make you do things that you don’t really want to. For example, when you land on a website and have to sign up ...

Nick is a Features author who's been writing for fellow tech geeks since 2011. While he's mostly focused on phones, he's also thrilled by cameras and audio gear of all shapes and sizes. On weekends, ...

If you’ve ever found yourself struggling to cancel an online subscription, or to deactivate an account on a website, you may have fallen prey to ‘dark patterns’. The Advertising Standards Authority ...

Depending on your income, there’s a good chance you can file your taxes online for free. Over the years, however, a handful of tax prep companies have misled millions of consumers by hiding this ...

You’ve seen them before. Pop-ups with tiny X’s that make a window hard to close. Buttons and toggles in permissions boxes that are so confusing it’s difficult to understand what you’re agreeing to.

“Dark patterns are design features used to deceive, steer, or manipulate users into behavior that is profitable for an entity offering a product or service, but they are often harmful to users.”—Rohit ...

Navigating the virtual marketplace has become an integral part of the consumer experience in the digital age. Lurking behind the convenience and accessibility of e-commerce websites, however, lies a ...

You’re on the checkout page of a website when something appears in your shopping basket that you didn’t put there — say, you’re buying a laptop, but insurance sneaks in, too, unless you uncheck a box.