As online shopping explodes and internet users worldwide continue to grow, concerns have emerged about potentially deceptive practices employed by some e-commerce businesses.
According to the Indian e-commerce Industry Analysis, the e-commerce industry in India is growing rapidly and will surpass the USA to become the second-largest e-commerce market in the world by 2034. By 2025, the Indian e-commerce industry is pegged to reach USD 111.40 billion.
What are dark patterns?
This exponential rise of online shopping and the ever-growing number of internet users have unfortunately brought with them a rise in deceptive tactics used by some e-commerce businesses. These unethical strategies, often referred to as “Dark Patterns,” are designed to manipulate or mislead consumers through hidden costs, intrusive data collection, and addictive website features that keep them browsing longer.
Some examples of dark patterns are:
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False urgency:
Feeling rushed? Websites might use fake timers or limited-quantity claims to pressure quick purchases.
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Subscription Traps:
Signing up is easy, but canceling can be a maze of hidden buttons or complicated steps, making it a “subscription trap.”
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Basket Sneaking:
Watch out for unwanted items added to your cart without your knowledge – a sneaky tactic called “basket sneaking.”
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Confirm Shaming:
Websites might use shaming language or negative emotions to influence your purchase decision, known as “confirm shaming.”
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Nagging:
Ever feel bombarded with irrelevant pop-ups or notifications? This “nagging” technique aims to disrupt your browsing and push you towards unintended actions.
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Bait & Switch:
Committing to one thing but delivering something totally different, for instance, you might see one price on the product page but the price could be totally different when you check out and pay.
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Drip Pricing:
Showing one price on the product page, but then adding fees and charges at the time of payment, so that the discounted product that you were so keen to buy is no longer as discounted as you thought it was & you got ‘drip priced’.
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Disguised Advertisement:
Product advertisements are made to look like user-generated videos or reviews, articles, blogs, etc. though it is an advertisement in disguise
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Interface Interference:
Manipulating a user to move away from their intended action on the platform by interfering with the user interface, such as covering the whole screen with a dialog box asking for personal details to get discount codes or sign up for newsletters and not offering a close button to ignore
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Forced Action:
Forcing a user to buy products or services they didn’t intend to buy and unrelated to what they do want to buy, causing users to take ‘forced action’ to finish their purchase
These practices undermine consumer trust and exploit psychological biases to influence choice. The Central Department of Consumer Affairs is rightly urging online platforms to eliminate these “unfair trade practices” that manipulate consumer behavior and violate consumer rights.
Government Regulations against Dark Patterns
As per the Guidelines on Prevention and Regulation of Dark Patterns issued under section 18 of the Consumer Protection Act 2019, Dark Patterns are defined as the following:
- Any practices or deceptive design patterns; designed to mislead or trick users to do something they originally did not intend or want to do.
- Patterns that subvert or impair the consumer autonomy, decision making, or choice; amounting to misleading advertisement, unfair trade practice, or violation of consumer rights.
The government has taken multiple steps as below to curb the use of Dark Patterns by online platforms, as they are considered unfair trade practices and violate consumer rights under the Consumer Protection Act,
- The Consumer Protection (E-commerce) Rules, 2020 – Prohibits e-commerce entities from indulging in unfair trade practices.
- Guidelines for Prevention of Misleading Advertisements and Endorsements for Misleading Advertisements, 2022 – Lays down conditions for “non-misleading and valid advertisements”.
- The Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 – States the requirement of free and unambiguous consent of individuals before the processing of their data.
In September 2023, the Department of Consumer Affairs issued detailed guidelines that define tactics that can be considered Dark Patterns and the principles that online platforms should follow to ensure fair and transparent practices. The aim is to protect the interests of consumers and enhance their trust and confidence in online platforms.
At the heart of all these practices lies one very crucial element – DATA. And the key to safeguarding yourself against some of these attacks would be good security as well as being mindful of your actions. Moreover, e-commerce platforms have a huge responsibility of safeguarding the data you knowingly and unknowingly share with them. At every point, the website is tracking you. How many minutes did you spend looking at which product, what did you add to the cart, what did you not add to the cart, what are your sizes and color preferences, where do you live, when is your birthday, what device you are using, and so much more.
If you work in e-commerce or desire to work in e-commerce, then sharpening your cybersecurity and data security skills would be a huge game-changer for you. One of the best certifications you could achieve to validate your skills and expertise in information security is the CISSP certification.
CISSP Certification
The most sought-after certification in today’s information security sector is the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) certificate. A CISSP certification acknowledges information security professionals’ extensive technical and management knowledge and expertise, allowing them to successfully design, engineer, as well as manage an organization’s comprehensive security infrastructure. One of the finest aspects of the CISSP Common Body of Knowledge (CBK) is that it applies to various professions and sectors in information security. The CISSP certificate was the first in the domain of information security to fulfill the ANSI/ISO/IEC Standards 17024, which are exceedingly tough.
Security & risk management, asset security, infrastructure security & engineering, communication and network security, identity management, security analysis and evaluation, operations, as well as software development security are the eight main domains that the CISSP certification affirms. When you obtain the CISSP, you also become a member of the (ISC)2, which offers you access to a variety of resources, tools, and networking opportunities. Today, the CISSP certification is the most in-demand security accreditation on LinkedIn, with more than 145,000 experts in 170 countries holding the CISSP certificate.
The online CISSP certification course is designed for experienced security professionals, managers, & executives who want to demonstrate their understanding of a variety of security methods and concepts.
Enroll in Cognixia’s Cybersecurity Training
Cognixia’s CISSP training and certification can help you gain an enhanced reputation and reliability. It will assist you in improving your skills in handling and interacting with various stakeholders. Experts provide Cognixia’s live hands-on online CISSP training, which covers all eight areas of the CISSP exam outline. This CISSP certification program will assist you in completely preparing for the official CISSP examination and obtaining your CISSP certification.
Our CISSP online training covers the following –
- Module 1: Security and Risk Management
- Module 2: Asset Security
- Module 3: Security Architecture and Engineering
- Module 4: Communication and Network Security
- Module 5: Identity and Access Management (IAM)
- Module 6: Security Assessment and Testing
- Module 7: Security Operations
- Module 8: Software Development Security
Prerequisites for CISSP Course
Aspirants must have a minimum of 5 years of professional work experience in two or more of the CISSP CBK’s eight domains. A four-year college degree, a regional equivalent, or an extra certificate from the (ISC)2 authorized list would qualify as one year of experience.
If a candidate lacks sufficient experience to be a CISSP, they can still become an Associate of (ISC)2 by clearing the CISSP exam. They will then have 6 years to complete the minimum 5 years of experience.
