Dark Patterns as Instruments of Digital Consumer Exploitation: A Systematic Review Bridging Interface Design and Consumer Protection Law

Abstract

The rapid growth of digital commerce has intensified the prevalence of dark patterns manipulative interface designs that influence consumers to make decisions contrary to their own interests through deceptive or coercive design strategies. Experimental evidence demonstrates their substantial effectiveness, with consumers exposed to highly manipulative interfaces being nearly four times more likely to subscribe to unwanted services than those interacting with neutral designs. Although human–computer interaction (HCI) research has developed comprehensive taxonomies of dark patterns, consumer protection law scholarship remains fragmented across jurisdictions and lacks conceptual integration with design-based perspectives. This disciplinary divergence creates significant challenges in translating interface-level evidence into enforceable legal standards. Addressing this gap, this study systematically reviews the conceptual relationship between manipulative interface design taxonomies and consumer protection law frameworks while identifying barriers that impede effective legal enforcement in digital markets. The review follows the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines and systematically searches the Scopus and Web of Science databases using combinations of keywords related to dark patterns, deceptive design, and consumer protection law. Eligible studies were screened according to thematic relevance, methodological rigor, and publication period before undergoing thematic synthesis. The findings reveal a fundamental conceptual divergence: design-oriented literature primarily characterizes dark patterns through designer intent and interface attributes, whereas legal scholarship emphasizes demonstrable consumer harm and evidentiary standards. This mismatch represents the Dark Patterns as Instruments of Digital … (Erma Sri Hastuti, Marno Nugroho & Wahyu Setiawan) 362 LICS 2026 Topic: Strengthening Legal Frameworks for Combating Human Trafficking and Enhancing Protection of Women and Children principal operational barrier preventing consistent legal regulation of manipulative interface practices. The study contributes to the literature by proposing an integrative conceptual framework that bridges design-based and legal perspectives on dark patterns. It further offers practical recommendations for policymakers and digital platform designers to develop consumer protection regulations and design standards that more effectively address manipulative digital interfaces.