You bought it, but did you really want it?

We often act not rationally but rather by force of habit, feeling that something is urgent, or rotely reacting to a charming offer. The exploitation of these tendencies to influence our behaviour is not new. Such psychological subterfuge, however, has shown to be especially effective on the internet, where apps and platforms employ “dark patterns” to systematically steer our decision-making. Examples of such practices are hidden fees, confusing click paths, highlighting an inferior option, or insinuating scarcity by displaying a countdown.

My research explores these manipulative techniques, which are gaining momentum with the use of AI. In particular, I am studying whether we need to reconceptualize the legal regime that governs the use of manipulative techniques in the digital environment.

Pascal T. Sierek
is a senior research fellow at the Institute. He studies law
and digitalization from an interdisciplinary perspective. 
More on Pascal T. Sierek and his research can be found here.