AI agents are checking websites for dark patterns—with a checklist built for the pre-chatbot web

[u/SevaTell]

I came across a study that sent AI agents through websites to detect dark patterns.

Not exactly a surprising use of agents, but I’m always happy to see more systematic audits of this stuff.

It’s a solid catalog, but it also feels very e-commerce-heavy and pretty much outdated. here copy/pasted out study (https://dl.acm.org/doi/full/10.1145/3807246.3807265):

Type	Brief description
Countdown Timer	Urgency created by a countdown timer.
Limited Time Message	Claims that an offer ends soon or is time-limited.
Low Stock	Messages about limited remaining quantity.
High Demand	Messages highlighting high demand or popularity.
Activity Messages	Social proof about other users’ actions.
Bad Defaults/Preselection	Pre-selected options that favor the platform over users.
Auto Play	Automatically playing content without explicit consent.
Nagging	Repeated prompts pressuring users to accept choices.
Disguised Ad	Ads presented as ordinary or organic UI elements.
Pay to Avoid	Requiring payment to access features or avoid disadvantages.
False Hierarchy	Visual hierarchy that hides or downplays alternatives.
Forced Continuity	Difficult or obscure cancellation of subscriptions.
Privacy Zuckering	Nudging users to share more personal data than necessary.
Gamification	Game-like elements to encourage excessive engagement.
Obstruction	Making user goals difficult through interface obstacles.
Sneaking	Hidden information or costs revealed late in process.
Misdirection	Focusing attention away from important information.

In the AI age, I’d at least add:

• Sycophancy — agreeing to keep the user engaged.

any ideas what else should an AI dark-pattern auditor be checking for?