Dark Patterns Tip Line

Dark patterns are design tactics used to manipulate you into doing things you probably would not do otherwise. They’re common in websites and apps we use everyday, but they’re sometimes hard to spot because they’re designed to deceive. And the perspectives of everyday people are sometimes missing from dense, legal, and wonky conversations about dark patterns.

The Dark Patterns Tip Line enables people to share their experiences to help prevent other people from also being harmed. Participants can upload a screenshot and description of a deceptive design they encountered online, along with information about how they were harmed. Users can also explore anonymously published tips, navigating by type of harm (lost money, lost privacy, denied choice, etc).

The Dark Patterns Tip Line is led by a team of designers, academic researchers, legal experts, policy specialists, and advocacy-minded individuals. This project was conceived by researcher Stephanie Nguyen with support from the Rita Allen Foundation and was designed and coded by Ocupop.

In order to hold companies accountable for their use of dark patterns on the web, we’re going to need to raise public awareness and compile a large list of tips on where these dark patterns are and how to spot them. Working together, we can help hold corporations accountable for dishonest and harmful design practices. Join us by reporting a dark pattern now!