Get the latest tech news
7 sneaky tricks subscription services use to lock you in - and how to avoid them
A new study has found that most subscription apps use 'dark patterns' to manipulate you. Here's what that means and why it's effective.
Moor Studio/Getty ImagesIn a public report released earlier this month, the International Consumer Protection and Enforcement Network discussed what it called "dark patterns" in subscription services, or practices that coerce customers into making poor choices. In January of this year, ICPEN analyzed nearly 650 apps or services that offer some type of subscription and identified seven main tricky tactics they use to manipulate your choices. Social proof: Companies might try to pressure you by using the power of the crowd, announcing information like "100+ boxes sold in the past 24 hours" or "Most popular option" or "645 people viewing this item right now".
Or read this on ZDNet