Dark Patterns, Deceptive Design, and the Law

Dr Mark Leiser’s Dark Patterns, Deceptive Design, and the Law is a masterful examination of one of the most insidious threats in our digital age. With a keen eye for both regulatory nuance and the deeper structural manipulations at play, Leiser moves beyond the surface-level discussion of dark patterns to reveal how deception is embedded not just in user interfaces, but in the very architecture of our digital experiences. This book is an essential resource for scholars, regulators, and anyone concerned with deceptive design and AI. Leiser’s work stands as a compelling call to action, urging us to challenge the AI systems that shape—and too often exploit—our online lives. * Dr Cristiana Santos, Utrecht University, the Netherlands *
Dr Leiser engages clearly and insightfully with the topic of dark patterns. This book is informative and transformative through a multifaceted approach to the subject. It challenges readers to rethink their perspectives and the implications of deceptive design—in the user interface and beneath the surface in the system architecture. * Professor Eleni Kosta, Tilburg University, the Netherlands *
Dark patterns are complex, hidden, and harmful. They are a mix of design, both of user interfaces and platforms, psychology, and exploitation of legal and regulatory gaps. As a result, to understand dark patterns, and how to regulate for them, requires an understanding of how people think, how systems “nudge” and influence us, and what the legal-regulatory framework is. Fortunately, Dr. Mark Leiser brings all these together and this book, which is the culmination of many years researching dark patterns and how to regulate them, is his universal resource for anyone encountering this subject whether it is for the first time or if they are already familiar with the challenges. It should be read by academics, lawyers or anyone interested in the subject, it ought to be read by designers of platforms and interfaces, it must be read by regulators. This book makes a vital contribution to a subject that is unfortunately familiar to us all. * Professor Andrew Murray, London School of Economics, UK *