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The Office of Fair Trading and other Australian consumer protection regulators are running to national educational campaign to raise awareness of dark patterns and how to spot them.
The campaign aims to educate consumers on what dark patterns are and provide them with some general consumer tips for buying online.
Dark patterns are tactics some businesses use to nudge, manipulate or trick consumers into spending more money than planned or providing personal data that’s not needed. They are often used on online platforms, shopping websites and apps, and in emails and sms.
Some common dark patterns include:
Shopping online can be cheaper and more convenient for you. However, make sure you understand your rights before you click ‘pay now’.
To avoid post-purchase regret, don’t rush and:
Finally, while it may be tempting to sign up to a newsletter to get a discount, make sure you’re not sharing more personal information than you want to.
For more information on dark patterns visit the Office of Fair Trading’s website: www.qld.gov.au/fairtrading