How tech companies use dark patterns to discourage us from exercising our rights to privacy.
In this report, we analyze a sample of settings in Facebook, Google and Windows 10, and show how default settings and dark patterns, techniques and features of interface design meant to manipulate users, are used to nudge users towards privacy intrusive options.
The findings include privacy intrusive default settings, misleading wording, giving users an illusion of control, hiding away privacy-friendly choices, take-it-or-leave-it choices, and choice architectures where choosing the privacy friendly option requires more effort for the users.
Press release: «New analysis shows how Facebook and Google push users into sharing personal data».

Øyvind H. Kaldestad
Kommunikasjonsrådgiver – digitale rettigheter og strøm
(+47) 480 82 619
ohk@forbrukerradet.no