California, in the first move of its kind, banned the use of dark patterns as part of a change to the existing California Consumer Privacy Act. The new regulations, which create civil penalties for those organizations not in compliance, were established to assist in protecting individuals from the manipulative and deceptive nature of these user designs. While the changes are new, and may not address every aspect of dark patterns, they are a necessary step in protecting consumer privacy, and have the potential to stimulate action by the federal government and other states. … Read More Dark Pattern Deceit: California’s Ban on Dark Patterns and What It May Mean for Protecting Consumer Privacy in the Future