46% Of Japanese Consumers Fall Prey To "Dark Pattern" Sites

More than 40% of consumers in Japan have fallen prey to deceptive web or app designs known as "dark patterns" that trick them into making choices they would not have otherwise made, a recent survey by a Japanese web design company showed, Kyodo News reported.

Among seven examples of dark patterns, the most commonly experienced was site visitors being asked to register for membership when they only wanted to browse products.

The online survey, taken in August with 799 respondents between the ages of 18 and 69, found 46.1% of respondents had been swindled by dark patterns, while 68.8% said they had seen such designs, Concent Inc. said in late November.

Examples include unintentionally signing up for subscription-based purchases or feeling inclined to purchase an item due to misleading "limited stock" notices.

Among seven examples of dark patterns, the most commonly experienced was site visitors being asked to register for membership when they only wanted to browse products, at 46.3%, followed by 43.9% who said important information was presented in small fonts.

A total of 40.3% said it had been arduous or time-consuming to cancel memberships or subscriptions, while 29.2% said subscriptions were displayed as if they were one-time purchases, Mainichi Shimbun also reported.

WEEKLY FEATURE : Jose Mari Chan And The Christmas Anthem