FIMS Publications
Document Type
Working Paper
Publication Date
3-15-2024
First Page
1
Last Page
42
Abstract
Privacy dark patterns are user interface design strategies intended to “nudge” users to reveal personal data, either directly or by enabling (or failing to disable) privacy-invasive platform/profile settings. Examples of privacy dark patterns on social media include defaults that enable the public display of posted content, warnings that follow attempts to reject personalized ads, and hidden “skip” buttons that make it more challenging to decline privacy-undermining requests such as to sync contacts.
Our project aims to minimize the impact of privacy dark patterns on Canadian youth. Building on our prior research documenting the use of these strategies on five social networking sites (SNSs) popular among teens (Kelly & Burkell, Under Review, 2024a; Under Review, 2024b), we conducted four focus groups with 38 Canadian teens (aged 13-17) to examine their experience with, awareness of, and responses to privacy dark patterns on social media. Participants demonstrated a low level of awareness of how interface design could impact their privacy behaviour before participating in the research. When prompted to focus on privacy-undermining aspects of SNSs, however, teens are able to identify a wide range of privacy dark patterns and strategies for resistance. We also reviewed research assessing users’ perceptions of and responses to privacy dark patterns and examined approaches to privacy dark pattern regulation in Canada, the United States, and the European Union. This research will help to inform the development of effective regulatory frameworks and educational materials that will assist users to resist these tactics.