Dark pattern

A consumer protection group alleged Starbucks’ mobile app traps users in a vicious cycle of beverage buying in a December complaint to Washington’s Attorney General. The coffee chain’s mobile app allegedly uses “dark patterns” to make low funds on a Starbucks Card unusable, forcing you to add $10 or lose that money altogether.Let’s Eat a Chocolate Xbox Controller“The Starbucks Payment Platform involves unfair and deceptive digital dark patterns that effectively trap its customers into prepaying for the company’s…

Photo: Wachiwit (Shutterstock)In a sweeping settlement announced Monday, the Federal Trade Commission fined Epic Games a whopping $520 million after accusing the Fortnite-maker of a variety of unsavory business practices. The complaint touches on a range of issues from alleged violations of children’s privacyto tricking users into unintentional purchases, but there’s an overarching theme: deceptive design. Epic agreed to make a number of changes to its interfaces as part of the settlement, like adding friction in the…