Companies make it easy to subscribe to their services and frustratingly hard to unsubscribe. Businesses are forced to give you privacy options, then make it difficult to opt out of sharing your data. Retailers pressure you to buy with fake countdown timers and “low stock” warnings. These are all forms of “dark patterns,” a term for the techniques companies use to confuse and ensnare consumers. But there are ways to protect yourself. Before you shop online or sign up for a new membership, learn how to spot dark patterns.
See if any of this sounds familiar: ● You can’t find an easy way to cancel an unwanted subscription, so you let it continue for another month telling yourself you’ll try again later.
Liz Weston: Companies deceptive dark patterns online cost you money - here s how to fight back | iNFOnews infotel.ca - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from infotel.ca Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.