BEWARE THE SHADY TRAPS OF E-COMM THIS FESTIVE SEASON
The Morning Standard|October 15, 2024
Dark patterns are well-crafted interface design tricks that seek to gain at the consumer's expense. This festive season, buyers must watch out for such shady practices
HARISH BIJOOR
BEWARE THE SHADY TRAPS OF E-COMM THIS FESTIVE SEASON

DUSSEHRA is done with and Diwali is ahead. Before, within and in between these two festivals, India buys up the goodies it loves. Even as the Dussehra sales close, online marketplace sales have touched a record ₹55,000 crore ($6.5 billion) in one week. Even as the Diwali festive season begins and the card parties start, a whole market of buyers and sellers is ecstatic and ready to buy and sell even more.

India's online retail market is today all of $75 billion in value. As online retailers and their close cousins in direct-to-consumer e-commerce (D2C players) celebrate and prepare to sell more during their Diwali sales, I look at the consumer side of dynamics and peek at a rather concerning soft-underbelly issue of e-commerce and the virtual format of selling and buying. Harry Brignull, a London-based user-experience (UX) designer calls it a ‘dark pattern'.

E-commerce dark patterns are really bad practices purposely ingrained into websites we buy from. Brignull calls it out to be "deceptive practices carefully crafted to trick users into doing things not in their interest". These are scientifically crafted UX tricks that seek to gain at your expense. Must you watch out for these, even as you participate in the buying frenzy that has just closed and is equally about to unfold ahead?

For a start, let me call a spade a spade. When you buy on an e-commerce platform, you give a lot. You pay with your time, money, and equally your privacy. The data you leave on the platform is something that gets to become footsteps you have left behind that will be followed to make you buy more. The important point to insist on is that you want to be responsibly used. You are being used as a customer, but you want it to be done with responsibility and with least irritation, aggression, deceit and the marketing UX lie.

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM THE MORNING STANDARDView all
The Morning Standard

Healing with art

NOW, what I want you all to do is, draw your inner mask and outer mask,\" instructs Vasavi Eriki as we grab our A4 sheets in unison and curiously look at the unknown faces on our screens at 'Explore, Express and Heal', an online art therapy workshop organised by Pause for Perspective.

time-read
2 mins  |
November 06, 2024
Jr NTR's Devara: Part 1 gets OTT release date
The Morning Standard

Jr NTR's Devara: Part 1 gets OTT release date

On Tuesday, Netflix announced that the Jr NTR-starrer Devara: Part 1 is coming to the platform on November 8.

time-read
1 min  |
November 06, 2024
The Morning Standard

7 guarantees in INDIA manifesta

THE INDIA bloc on Tuesday released its manifesto for the Jharkhand Assembly polls, promising the Sarna religion code for tribals, while guaranteeing Khatian-based domicile policy to woo the natives.

time-read
1 min  |
November 06, 2024
Eyes on host city as IOA submits letter of intent for 2036 Olympics
The Morning Standard

Eyes on host city as IOA submits letter of intent for 2036 Olympics

THE Indian Olympic Association has finally submitted the letter of intent to the International Olympic Committee on October 1.

time-read
2 mins  |
November 06, 2024
ERIGAISI SURVIVES ANOTHER CLOSE MATCH
The Morning Standard

ERIGAISI SURVIVES ANOTHER CLOSE MATCH

A win today will see the Indian GM becoming World Number 2

time-read
2 mins  |
November 06, 2024
The Morning Standard

Delhi up against table toppers Chandigarh

CHANDIGARH are on a roll after initial disappointment when they lost their first match against Railways.

time-read
1 min  |
November 06, 2024
The Morning Standard

1574 players sign up for IPL mega auction

A WHOPPING 1574 cricketers, including 1165 Indians, have signed up for the mega auction ahead of the Indian Premier League 2025 which will be held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on November 24 and 25, the BCCI announced on Tuesday.

time-read
1 min  |
November 06, 2024
Djokovic withdraws from ATP Finals due to injury
The Morning Standard

Djokovic withdraws from ATP Finals due to injury

NOVAK Djokovic won't defend his ATP Finals title after ruling himself out on Tuesday due to an unspecified injury.

time-read
1 min  |
November 06, 2024
The Morning Standard

Muralikrishnan, Xiaomi India head, resigns

CHINESE smart devices firm Xiaomi's India head Muralikrishnan B has resigned from the company to pursue his interest in academic research, the company said on Monday.

time-read
1 min  |
November 06, 2024
The Morning Standard

Trade barriers could rise if Trump wins

THE US election results could have a far-reaching impact on global trade if Donald Trump emerges victorious on November 12, the election results day.

time-read
1 min  |
November 06, 2024