Asci releases guidelines on dark patterns in digital advertisements

The Advertising Standards Council of India (Asci) on Thursday issued guidelines for online deceptive design patterns in advertising, commonly known as “dark patterns”, asking the companies not to mislead the customer via omission, exaggeration, implication, or ambiguity.

The guidelines are self-regulatory and will be effective September 1.

Dark patterns prompt the users to buy a particular product or a service even when they do not give their exclusive consent. There are several types of dark patterns prevailing on the internet today. Some of these are disguised ads, nagging, basket sneaking, forced action, bait and switch, and hidden costs.