Dark Patterns Symbiosis Bright Patterns
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Forced Action

Forced Action is a strategy which requires users to knowingly or unknowingly perform an additional and/or tangential action or information to access (or continue to access) specific functionality, preventing them from continuing their interaction with a system without performing that action.
Forced Action
Illustration

Interaction Contexts

  • checkout
  • privacy

Harmed Goals

  • control
  • comprehension

Symbiosis

Bright alternatives to this dark pattern

  • Fairness
    Ensures ethical treatment of users through transparent practices and respect for user autonomy.
    View pair →

Examples

Selfmade Example

The user is required to complete a ridiculous amount of steps in order to delete the account, making it near impossible
The user is required to complete a ridiculous amount of steps in order to delete the account, making it near impossible

Selfmade Example

User is required to pay for a video thought to be free
User is required to pay for a video thought to be free

Sources

Dark Pattern Ontology adapted from Gray et al. (CHI ’24)

Direct
Inferred

Pattern Levels

High-Level Patterns Strategy Domain & Context Diagnostic (abstract)

High-level patterns include general strategies that can be employed through a range of modalities and technologies and application types

Meso-Level Patterns Angle of Attack Domain & Context Diagnostic (interpretable)

Meso-level patterns describe a context-agnostic angle of attack and may be interpreted in relation to context based on the specific modality or application type

Low-Level Patterns Means of Execution Domain & Context Specific (situated)

Low-level patterns are situated and contextually dependent, including specific means of execution

Diagram: High (strategy, diagnostic), Meso (angle of attack, still diagnostic), Low (means of execution, context specific). Integrated textual descriptions appear within each layer.

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Paul Bertram 2026
Impressum Datenschutz

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Sources

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Pattern Levels

High-Level Patterns Strategy Domain & Context Diagnostic (abstract)

High-level patterns include general strategies that can be employed through a range of modalities and technologies and application types

Meso-Level Patterns Angle of Attack Domain & Context Diagnostic (interpretable)

Meso-level patterns describe a context-agnostic angle of attack and may be interpreted in relation to context based on the specific modality or application type

Low-Level Patterns Means of Execution Domain & Context Specific (situated)

Low-level patterns are situated and contextually dependent, including specific means of execution

Diagram: High (strategy, diagnostic), Meso (angle of attack, still diagnostic), Low (means of execution, context specific). Integrated textual descriptions appear within each layer.