SINGAPORE: Fake visitor counts, fabricated countdown timers and false discount claims. These were the deceptive website features that landed three online retailers in trouble with Singapore’s consumer regulator.
The Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCS) on May 18 called out Seager, which operates Boarding Gate, Light In The Box and Origin Sleep for using these so-called “dark patterns” to pressure consumers into making purchases.
They are not the first to come under scrutiny for such tactics. Last year, CCS also rapped electronics retailer Prism+ and online travel agency Agoda over similar practices.
Dark patterns are designed to manipulate consumer behaviour, often by exploiting mental “auto-pilot” and psychological biases.
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For example, humans are hardwired to respond to scarcity cues and time pressure. This is why a phony “almost sold out” alert or a sale countdown clock can trigger a fear of missing out and nudge people into making unintended purchases. Similarly, being told that “17 people are looking at this product right now” can feel like social proof that the product is worth buying.
Crucially, dark patterns are often subtle and difficult to prove.
In the latest case, it took CCS investigators combing through website code to confirm that Boarding Gate’s visitor counts were randomised code. Origin Sleep’s claim of time-limited promotion needed to be verified over time, with such promotions rolling on for nearly two years under new labels such as “Flash Sale” and “3.3 Mega Sale”. For Light In The Box, the retailer’s claim of limited stock is an impossibility as they operated on a made-to-order model - information that is not easily available to the public.
Retailers have been caught using various tactics to mislead and pressure shoppers. (Images: CCS)
Not all dark patterns are equal. Some, such as nagging (repeated requests to turn on app notifications), are irritating but relatively low impact. Others can do real financial harm. Among the worst are “subscription traps”, also nicknamed “roach motel” because they are easy to get into but exasperatingly hard to escape.
The current environment makes these tactics even more potent.
Consumers are exposed to a steady stream of news headlines about tariffs, geopolitical conflicts, supply chain disruptions, inflationary pressures and shortages. Against this backdrop, messages telling shoppers to buy now before stocks run out or warning of long waits due to possible supply chain hiccups can be very convincing, real or not.
AI assistants and chatbots may further turbocharge dark patterns.
While chatbots and algorithmic recommendations can be helpful in suggesting products tailored to one’s taste, it can, in the wrong hands, also fine-tune dark patterns to each person.
Imagine a future shopping assistant that knows your browsing history and buying impulses intimately. It could choose the perfect moment to hit you with a personalised “limited offer” that it calculates you’re likely to cave to.
Manipulation may also increasingly be delivered in the tone of helpful advice. This blurs the line between assistance and deception and opens the door to new forms of social engineering.
This matters especially in an ageing society like Singapore. Preliminary behavioural research suggests that older adults may in some situations be more susceptible to persuasive cues, such as urgency and scarcity in online settings.
Regulators here have begun stepping up enforcement. A Consumer Protection Review Panel convened by the government is studying feedback on dark patterns and is expected to recommend further measures later this year.
But given how quickly these tactics evolve, especially with the aid of AI, regulation alone isn’t a silver bullet. Countering dark patterns requires a multi-pronged approach.
First, businesses and platforms need to self-regulate more seriously.
There is a tragedy-of-the-commons problem here. A few fly-by-night firms may profit in the short run from manipulating consumer behaviour, but the wider effect is an erosion of trust in online commerce for everyone else. This is especially damaging for e-commerce platforms, which depend on users feeling safe enough to browse and buy.
One of the three retailers rapped by CCS on May 18 claimed its website design was based on a template purchased from an overseas vendor. CCS did not name the retailer but stressed that businesses remain responsible regardless how their website was built.
Businesses should not hide behind the excuse that their web template, plugin or external vendor came with manipulative defaults. If the dark pattern appears on your site, it is your responsibility.
Second, continued consumer education and feedback will be crucial.
Many shoppers still aren’t familiar with the term and meaning of dark patterns, so public awareness campaigns can help people recognise and avoid common examples, such as endless sale cycles or difficulty unsubscribing.
Education should go hand-in-hand with encouraging consumers to speak up and report these experiences, whether by contacting the Consumers Association of Singapore or flagging concerns to the platforms themselves. This grassroots vigilance is invaluable: regulators often rely on public complaints as an early warning system to uncover hidden manipulations that might otherwise persist unnoticed.
For instance, it was a consumer complaintthat led CCS to begin investigations into retailer Courts. It subsequently found that during certain promotion periods, Courts would automatically add items to shoppers' online carts without seeking consent.
Third, consumers can penalise deceptive and manipulative designs with their clicks and dollars. In a competitive marketplace, businesses ultimately listen to their customers.
Some dark patterns are easier to spot than others. These include “confirm shaming” (an option that says “No thanks, I would rather pay full price”), pre-selection of options (add-ons are selected by default), sneak-into-basket tactics and hidden charges that appear only at payment.
If you spot any of these, if a retailer makes you feel rushed, hides the true price until the last step or turns cancellation into a scavenger hunt, consumers should walk away. Walking away is not only self-protection; it is doing your part to improve the marketplace.
At the end of the day, consumers do not want to be perpetually on guard. For now, though, regulation needs to continue to evolve, businesses and platforms need to self-regulate, and consumers need to be prepared to do the right thing.
Victor Seah is Director of Behavioural Insights Centre of Excellence at the Singapore University of Social Sciences.
Continue reading...
The Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCS) on May 18 called out Seager, which operates Boarding Gate, Light In The Box and Origin Sleep for using these so-called “dark patterns” to pressure consumers into making purchases.
They are not the first to come under scrutiny for such tactics. Last year, CCS also rapped electronics retailer Prism+ and online travel agency Agoda over similar practices.
MANIPULATION OF CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR
Dark patterns are designed to manipulate consumer behaviour, often by exploiting mental “auto-pilot” and psychological biases.
CNA Games
Show More Show Less
For example, humans are hardwired to respond to scarcity cues and time pressure. This is why a phony “almost sold out” alert or a sale countdown clock can trigger a fear of missing out and nudge people into making unintended purchases. Similarly, being told that “17 people are looking at this product right now” can feel like social proof that the product is worth buying.
Crucially, dark patterns are often subtle and difficult to prove.
In the latest case, it took CCS investigators combing through website code to confirm that Boarding Gate’s visitor counts were randomised code. Origin Sleep’s claim of time-limited promotion needed to be verified over time, with such promotions rolling on for nearly two years under new labels such as “Flash Sale” and “3.3 Mega Sale”. For Light In The Box, the retailer’s claim of limited stock is an impossibility as they operated on a made-to-order model - information that is not easily available to the public.
Retailers have been caught using various tactics to mislead and pressure shoppers. (Images: CCS)
Not all dark patterns are equal. Some, such as nagging (repeated requests to turn on app notifications), are irritating but relatively low impact. Others can do real financial harm. Among the worst are “subscription traps”, also nicknamed “roach motel” because they are easy to get into but exasperatingly hard to escape.
The current environment makes these tactics even more potent.
Consumers are exposed to a steady stream of news headlines about tariffs, geopolitical conflicts, supply chain disruptions, inflationary pressures and shortages. Against this backdrop, messages telling shoppers to buy now before stocks run out or warning of long waits due to possible supply chain hiccups can be very convincing, real or not.
THE RISK OF AI
AI assistants and chatbots may further turbocharge dark patterns.
While chatbots and algorithmic recommendations can be helpful in suggesting products tailored to one’s taste, it can, in the wrong hands, also fine-tune dark patterns to each person.
Imagine a future shopping assistant that knows your browsing history and buying impulses intimately. It could choose the perfect moment to hit you with a personalised “limited offer” that it calculates you’re likely to cave to.
Manipulation may also increasingly be delivered in the tone of helpful advice. This blurs the line between assistance and deception and opens the door to new forms of social engineering.
This matters especially in an ageing society like Singapore. Preliminary behavioural research suggests that older adults may in some situations be more susceptible to persuasive cues, such as urgency and scarcity in online settings.
Related:
A MULTI-PRONGED APPROACH
Regulators here have begun stepping up enforcement. A Consumer Protection Review Panel convened by the government is studying feedback on dark patterns and is expected to recommend further measures later this year.
But given how quickly these tactics evolve, especially with the aid of AI, regulation alone isn’t a silver bullet. Countering dark patterns requires a multi-pronged approach.
First, businesses and platforms need to self-regulate more seriously.
There is a tragedy-of-the-commons problem here. A few fly-by-night firms may profit in the short run from manipulating consumer behaviour, but the wider effect is an erosion of trust in online commerce for everyone else. This is especially damaging for e-commerce platforms, which depend on users feeling safe enough to browse and buy.
One of the three retailers rapped by CCS on May 18 claimed its website design was based on a template purchased from an overseas vendor. CCS did not name the retailer but stressed that businesses remain responsible regardless how their website was built.
Businesses should not hide behind the excuse that their web template, plugin or external vendor came with manipulative defaults. If the dark pattern appears on your site, it is your responsibility.
Second, continued consumer education and feedback will be crucial.
Many shoppers still aren’t familiar with the term and meaning of dark patterns, so public awareness campaigns can help people recognise and avoid common examples, such as endless sale cycles or difficulty unsubscribing.
Education should go hand-in-hand with encouraging consumers to speak up and report these experiences, whether by contacting the Consumers Association of Singapore or flagging concerns to the platforms themselves. This grassroots vigilance is invaluable: regulators often rely on public complaints as an early warning system to uncover hidden manipulations that might otherwise persist unnoticed.
For instance, it was a consumer complaintthat led CCS to begin investigations into retailer Courts. It subsequently found that during certain promotion periods, Courts would automatically add items to shoppers' online carts without seeking consent.
Third, consumers can penalise deceptive and manipulative designs with their clicks and dollars. In a competitive marketplace, businesses ultimately listen to their customers.
Some dark patterns are easier to spot than others. These include “confirm shaming” (an option that says “No thanks, I would rather pay full price”), pre-selection of options (add-ons are selected by default), sneak-into-basket tactics and hidden charges that appear only at payment.
If you spot any of these, if a retailer makes you feel rushed, hides the true price until the last step or turns cancellation into a scavenger hunt, consumers should walk away. Walking away is not only self-protection; it is doing your part to improve the marketplace.
At the end of the day, consumers do not want to be perpetually on guard. For now, though, regulation needs to continue to evolve, businesses and platforms need to self-regulate, and consumers need to be prepared to do the right thing.
Victor Seah is Director of Behavioural Insights Centre of Excellence at the Singapore University of Social Sciences.
Continue reading...