We have all encountered them, in both our personal and professional lives. Think about the times you felt tricked or frustrated by a membership or subscription that had a seamless sign-up process but was later difficult to cancel. Something that should be simple and transparent can be complicated, intentionally or unintentionally, in ways that impair consumer choice. These are examples of dark patterns.
First coined in 2010 by user experience expert Harry Brignull, “dark patterns” is a catch-all term for practices that manipulate user interfaces to influence the decision-making ability of users. Brignull identifies 12 types of common dark patterns, ranging from misdirection and hidden costs to “roach motel”, where a user experience seems easy and intuitive at the start, but turns difficult when the user tries to get out.
In a 2019 study of 53,000 product pages and 11,000 websites, researchers found that about one in 10 employs these design practices. Though widely prevalent, the concept of dark patterns is still not well understood. Business and nonprofit leaders should be aware of dark patterns and try to avoid the gray areas they engender.
Where is the line between ethical, persuasive design and dark patterns? Businesses should engage in conversations with IT, compliance, risk, and legal teams to review their privacy policy, and include in the discussion the customer/user experience designers and coders responsible for the company’s user interface, as well as the marketers and advertisers responsible for sign-ups, checkout baskets, pricing, and promotions. Any or all these teams can play a role in creating or avoiding “digital deception.”
Lawmakers and regulators are slowly starting to address the ambiguity around dark patterns, most recently at the state level. In March, the California Attorney General announced the approval of additional regulations under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) that “ensure that consumers will not be confused or misled when seeking to exercise their data privacy rights.” The regulations aim to ban dark patterns—this means prohibiting companies from using “confusing language or unnecessary steps such as forcing them to click through multiple screens or listen to reasons why they shouldn’t opt out.”
As more states consider promulgating additional regulations, there is a need for greater accountability from within the business community. Dark patterns also can be addressed on a self-regulatory basis, but only if organizations hold themselves accountable, not just to legal requirements, but also to industry best practices and standard.
1. It can be learned from the first two paragraphs that dark patterns ________.
2. The 2019 study on dark patterns is mentioned to show ________.
3. To handle digital deception, businesses should ________.
4. The additional regulations under the CCPA are intended to ________.
5. According to the last paragraph, a key to coping with dark patterns is ________.
问题1选项
A.improve user experiences
B.leak user ifnriation for profit
C.undermine users' decision-making
D.remind users of hidden costs
问题2选项
A.their major flaws
B.their complex designs
C.their severe damage
D.their strong presence
问题3选项
A.listen to customer feedback
B.talk with relevant terms
C.turn to independent agencies
D.rely on professional training
问题4选项
A.guide users through opt-out processes
B.protect consumers from being tricked
C.grant companies data privacy rights
D.restrict access to problematic content
问题5选项
A.new legal requirements
B.businesses' self-discipine
C.strict regulatory standars
D.consumers' safety awareness
第1题:C
第2题:D
第3题:B
第4题:B
第5题:B
第1题:
【选项释义】
It can be learned from the first two paragraphs that dark patterns ________. 从前两段可以得知,黑暗模式________。
A. improve user experiences A. 改善用户体验
B. leak user information for profit B. 泄露用户信息以获取利益
C. undermine users’ decision-making C. 破坏了用户的决策
D. remind users of hidden costs D. 提醒用户隐藏成本
【答案】C
【考查点】事实细节题。
【解题思路】根据题干关键词the first two paragraphs可以定位到文章第一、二段,第一段说到“一些应该简单和透明的东西可能会有意或无意地变得复杂,从而损害消费者的选择(impair consumer choice)。这些都是黑暗模式(dark patterns)的例子”,说明黑暗模式会损害消费者的选择,再结合第二段中“‘黑暗模式’是一个笼统的术语,指的是操纵用户界面以影响用户决策能力的做法”可知,黑暗模式会影响用户的决策能力,由此可以推断出黑暗模式会损害用户的决策。因此C选项“破坏了用户的决策”正确。
【干扰项排除】A选项“改善用户体验”,B选项“泄露用户信息以获取利益”在文中没有提及,属于无中生有;
D选项“提醒用户隐藏成本”,文中说的是“使简单透明的东西变得很复杂”,所以应该是模糊隐藏成本的存在,属于反向干扰。
第2题:
【选项释义】
The 2019 study on dark patterns is mentioned to show ________. 提到2019年关于黑暗模式的研究是为了表明________。
A. their major flaws A. 它们的主要缺陷
B. their complex designs B. 它们的复杂设计
C. their severe damage C. 它们的严重损害
D. their strong presence D. 它们的强大存在
【答案】D
【考查点】推理判断题。
【解题思路】根据题干关键词2019 study on dark patterns可以定位到文章第三段第一句“在2019年一项针对5.3万个产品页面和1.1万个网站的研究中,研究人员发现,大约十分之一的网站采用了这些设计实践(one in 10 employs these design practices)”,说明黑暗模式被广泛使用。因此D选项“它们的强大存在”正确。
【干扰项排除】A选项“它们的主要缺陷”,B选项“它们的复杂设计”和C选项“它们的严重损害”在文中均没有提及,属于无中生有。
第3题:
【选项释义】
To handle digital deception, businesses should ________. 为了处理数字欺骗,企业应该________。
A. listen to customer feedback A. 听取客户的反馈
B. talk with relevant teams B. 与相关团队交谈
C. turn to independent agencies C. 向独立机构求助
D. rely on professional training D. 依靠专业培训
【答案】B
【考查点】事实细节题。
【解题思路】根据题干关键词digital deception可以定位到文章第四段最后一句“所有这些团队都可以在创造或避免‘数字欺骗(digital deception)’方面发挥作用”,这些团队指的是上文中提到的“企业应该与IT、合规、风险和法律团队进行对话(engage in conversations)”,说明为了处理数字欺骗,企业应该和相关团队交流。因此B选项“与相关团队交谈”正确。
【干扰项排除】A选项“听取客户的反馈”,C选项“向独立机构求助”和D选项“依靠专业培训”在文中均没有提及,属于无中生有。
第4题:
【选项释义】
The additional regulations under the CCPA are intended to ________. CCPA的附加规定旨在________。
A. guide users through opt-out processes A. 指导用户完成选择退出程序
B. protect consumers from being tricked B. 保护消费者不被欺骗
C. grant companies data privacy rights C. 授予公司数据隐私权利
D. restrict access to problematic content D. 限制对有问题内容的访问
【答案】B
【考查点】事实细节题。
【解题思路】根据题干关键词CCPA可以定位到文章第五段第二句“今年3月,加州总检察长宣布批准了《加州消费者隐私法》下的附加规定,‘确保消费者在寻求行使其数据隐私权时不会被混淆或误导。’”,说明CCPA的附加法规的目的在于保护消费者不会被混淆或误导。因此B选项“保护消费者不被欺骗”正确。
【干扰项排除】A选项“指导用户完成选择退出程序”,C选项“授予公司数据隐私权利”和D选项“限制对有问题内容的访问”在文中均没有提及,属于无中生有。
第5题:
【选项释义】
According to the last paragraph, a key to coping with dark patterns is ________. 根据最后一段,应对黑暗模式的关键是________。
A. new legal requirements A. 新的法律要求
B. businesses’ self-discipline B. 企业的自律
C. strict regulatory standards C. 严格的监管标准
D. consumers’ safety awareness D. 消费者的安全意识
【答案】B
【考查点】事实细节题。
【解题思路】根据题干关键词last paragraph可以定位到文章最后一段第二句“黑暗模式也可以在自我监管(self-regulatory)的基础上得到解决,但前提是组织要对自己负责(hold themselves accountable),不仅要对法律要求负责,还要对行业最佳实践和标准负责”,说明应对黑暗模式的一个关键是企业的自我监管。因此B选项“企业的自律”正确。
【干扰项排除】A选项“新的法律要求”,新法规的出现是企业加强问责的原因,属于本末倒置;
C选项“严格的监管标准”,D选项“消费者的安全意识”在文中没有提及,属于无中生有。