Source: TH
Context: The Ministry of Civil Aviation in India is addressing deceptive online practices by airlines and travel agents (such as IndiGo, SpiceJet, and MakeMyTrip), which have been termed “cybercrime.” These practices, known as “dark patterns,” trick consumers into making unintended purchases while booking flight tickets.
More about Dark Pattern:
| Term | Definition |
| Dark Patterns | Digital design techniques used to manipulate customer behaviour are often considered an unfair trading practice and potentially a cybercrime. |
| Usage by Companies | Social media and Big Tech firms like Apple, Amazon, Facebook, Google, LinkedIn, Microsoft, and Skype employ dark patterns to their advantage. |
| Example | For instance, LinkedIn users may receive unsolicited sponsored messages from influencers, and disabling this option can be a complex process with multiple steps. |
| Forms of Dark Patterns | 1. False Urgency: Creating a false sense of urgency or scarcity to prompt immediate purchases |
| 2. Basket Sneaking: Including additional items or charges at checkout without user consent. | |
| 3. Interface Interference: Manipulating the design to highlight specific information and obscure other relevant details. | |
| 4. Bait and Switch: Advertising one outcome but delivering another. | |
| 5. Drip Pricing: Withholding elements of prices upfront or obscuring them during the user experience. | |
| 6. Other Forms: Forced action, Subscription trap, Confirm shaming, Disguised advertising, Nagging, and more. | |
| Regulatory Measures (India) | India has taken several regulatory measures to address dark patterns, including: |
| 1. Summoning cab and two-wheeler aggregators to address their charges and algorithms. | |
| 2. Forming a consultation group to combat fake online reviews. | |
| 3. Applying the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) code, which covers misleading ads in various media, including online advertising. |
Draft Guidelines for Prevention and Regulation of Dark Patterns
