Tech companies, subscription apps and e-commerce sites have for years used subtle tricks to nudge people toward a decision or purchase they might not otherwise make. There’s even a name for the tactics: dark patterns.
Click here to read the story at nbcnews.com.
Discussion Questions:
- What are “dark patterns”, as it relates to marketing, based on information from this story?
- What is one specific example of something a company might do that would be considered to be a dark pattern?
- What is deceptive marketing?
- What are ethics?
- Is deceptive marketing legal? Is it ethical?
- Is deceptive marketing the same thing as dark patterns? Why or why not?
- Can you think of a time where you personally have been subjected to deceptive marketing or dark patterns?
- Who is the FTC?
- In addition to the FTC, who else is responsible for protecting consumers from deceptive marketing tactics?
