From Amazon to Byju's, top apps found using misleading patterns in ads: ASCI report

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The Advertising Standards Council of India(ASCI) Academy and Parallel, a design studio, has released a report that has found top Indian apps misleading consumers in their advertising.

Out of the top 53 apps in India across nine industries that they analysed for dark patterns, health-tech apps were found to have the highest usage of dark patterns, followed by travel booking and fintech sector, the report said.

Health-tech apps like Cure.fit, Pharmeasy and travel apps like Cleartrip, EaseMyTrip were among platforms that use dark patterns in their ads.

E-commerce apps Amazon and Flipkart, and ed-tech apps like Byju's and Unacademy were also found using dark patterns in their advertising.

Dark patterns are deceptive UI/UX practices that can mislead or trick users into doing something they originally did not intend or want to do.

The study revealed that 52 of the 53 apps analysed by ASCI employ deceptive design practices. These apps collectively have been downloaded over 21 billion times, pointing to the potential of their consumer impact.

The report identifies 12 distinct deceptive patterns, including privacy deception, interface interference, drip pricing, and false urgency, which are popularly employed by online interfaces.

Privacy deception emerged as the most prevalent deceptive pattern, observed in 79 percent of the apps analysed, followed by interface interference (45 percent), drip pricing (43 percent), and false urgency (32 percent).

The results highlight the urgent need for more conscious effort in app development.

In June 2023, ASCI released guidelines on deceptive patterns that are mainly used in advertising. Months later, the Department of Consumer Affairs (DoCA) also released guidelines for 13 deceptive patterns in November 2023.

According to the guidelines, the use of any of these prescribed dark patterns amounts to a misleading advertisement, an unfair trade practice, or a violation of consumer rights.

Key findings of the report highlight that more than 80 percent of apps exhibited deceptive patterns in the settings/ profile section.

All e-commerce apps studied made it difficult for users to delete their accounts, the report said.

Some health-tech apps relied on creating time-based pressure (false urgency) to rush users into making decisions.

Basket sneaking was four times more prevalent in delivery and logistics apps as compared to other sectors.

The lowest incidences of deceptive patterns per app were observed in streaming services.

“Deceptive patterns harm consumer trust and transparency in the digital ecosystem. With just the top 53 apps being downloaded over 21 billion times, the consumer exposure to deceptive patterns across apps, websites, and other digital interfaces is mind-boggling. We urge organisations to follow conscious design principles that protect the consumer’s right to make an informed choice," said Manisha Kapoor, CEO & Secretary General of ASCI.