Cognitive Biases, Dark Patterns, and the 'Privacy Paradox'

31 Current Issues in Psychology 2020

11 Pages Posted: 29 Sep 2019

See all articles by Ari Ezra Waldman

Ari Ezra Waldman

Northeastern University School of Law and Khoury College of Computer Sciences, Center for Law, Information and Creativity (CLIC)

Date Written: September 18, 2019

Abstract

Scholars and commentators often argue that individuals do not care about their privacy, and that users routinely trade privacy for convenience. This ignores the cognitive biases and design tactics platforms use to manipulate users into disclosing information. This essay highlights some of those cognitive biases – from hyperbolic discounting to the problem of overchoice – and discusses the ways in which platform design can manipulate disclosure. It then explains how current law allows this manipulative and anti-consumer behavior to continue and proposes a new approach to reign in the phenomenon.

Keywords: privacy, privacy paradox, cognitive bias, dark patterns, trust, disclosure, disclosure decision-making

Suggested Citation

Waldman, Ari Ezra, Cognitive Biases, Dark Patterns, and the 'Privacy Paradox' (September 18, 2019). 31 Current Issues in Psychology 2020, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3456155

Ari Ezra Waldman (Contact Author)

Northeastern University School of Law and Khoury College of Computer Sciences, Center for Law, Information and Creativity (CLIC) ( email )

416 Huntington Avenue
Boston, MA 02115
United States

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