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Deceptive Patterns
Deceptive patterns (also known as “dark patterns”) are tricks used in websites and apps that make people do things they didn’t mean to — like buying or signing up for something. deceptive.design, founded by Dr Harry Brignull in 2010, catalogues the recognised types of deceptive pattern, the laws that govern them, real-world enforcement actions taken by regulators, and a reading list of academic research. This file links the core taxonomy and reference pages.
For agents: Catalogue of deceptive design (dark pattern) types, related EU/UK/US laws, enforcement actions and academic reading list, founded by Dr Harry Brignull.
dark patternsdeceptive designux ethicsconsumer protection lawgdprhard to cancel
- Authority
- 53 reach 12 · trust 5 · quality 21 · freshness 15
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- llms.txt
- https://deceptive.design/llms.txt
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- 112
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- 27307 bytes
- Popularity rank
- #112614
- Country
- France
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- Documentation and reference
- For agents
- Documentation: developer or product docs worth reading, nothing to call
- Audience
- mixed · agents can: read docs, search content · en
- First seen
- 2026-10-19T10:41:01.467Z
- Last checked
- 2026-10-19T18:47:41.434Z
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Their llms.txt
The beginning of the file, from our validated copy saved 2026-10-22T15:17:15.580Z. Cached copy · Source on deceptive.design
# Deceptive Patterns
Deceptive patterns (also known as “dark patterns”) are tricks used in websites and apps that make people do things they didn’t mean to — like buying or signing up for something. deceptive.design, founded by Dr Harry Brignull in 2010, catalogues the recognised types of deceptive pattern, the laws that govern them, real-world enforcement actions taken by regulators, and a reading list of academic research. This file links the core taxonomy and reference pages.
## Key pages
- [Types of deceptive pattern](https://deceptive.design/types/): The recognised taxonomy of deceptive patterns used in websites and apps.
- [Laws](https://deceptive.design/laws/): Laws that govern the use of deceptive patterns across the EU, UK and US.
- [Enforcement actions](https://deceptive.design/enforcement/): Legal cases and enforcement actions taken against companies for using deceptive patterns.
- [Reading list](https://deceptive.design/reading-list/): A reading list of academic papers, reports and articles on deceptive patterns.
- [Read the books](https://deceptive.design/read-the-books/): Books on deceptive patterns by Harry Brignull and Mark Leiser.
- [About](https://deceptive.design/about-us/): About deceptive.design and the team behind it.
- [How to cite this website](https://deceptive.design/how-to-cite-this-website/): Citation formats (APA, BibTeX, MLA, Harvard) for referencing the site.
## Types of deceptive pattern
- [Hard to cancel](https://deceptive.design/types/hard-to-cancel/): The user finds it easy to sign up or subscribe, but when they want to cancel they find it very hard.
- [Sneaking](https://deceptive.design/types/sneaking/): The user is drawn into a transaction on false pretences, because pertinent information is hidden or delayed from being presented to them.
- [Trick wording](https://deceptive.design/types/trick-wording/): The user is misled into taking an action, due to the presentation of confusing or misleading language.
- [Obstruction](https://deceptive.design/types/obstruction/): The user is faced with barriers or hurdles, making it hard for them to complete their task or access information.
- [Nagging](https://deceptive.design/types/nagging/): The user tries to do something, but they are persistently interrupted by requests to do something else that may not be in their best interests.
- [Preselection](https://deceptive.design/types/preselection/): The user is presented with a default option that has already been selected for them, in order to influence their decision-making.
- [Hidden costs](https://deceptive.design/types/hidden-costs/): The user is enticed with a low advertised price. After investing time and effort, they discover unexpected fees and charges when they reach the checkout.
- [Comparison prevention](https://deceptive.design/types/comparison-prevention/): The user struggles to compare products because features and prices are combined in a complex manner, or because essential information is hard to find.
- [
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