Example group · 16 comparisons

Obstruction interface examples

Adds unnecessary friction, barriers or dead ends to dissuade the user from a choice, right or task.

Select one example to inspect the complete problematic and neutral HTML interfaces. These fictional comparisons support learning and review. The group name is not an EU legal category, and visual similarity alone establishes no infringement.

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Account deletion obstruction

Deactivation presented as deletion

Social account settingsAccount Management

A fictional platform labels a control “Delete account”, but the confirmation only hides the profile and leaves data and reactivation available indefinitely.

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Account deletion obstruction

Deletion buried behind an unsupported ticket

Shopping accountAccount Management

A fictional retailer places account deletion behind six help pages and requires a support ticket containing an order number even for users who never ordered.

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Cancellation friction

Online signup requires telephone cancellation

Streaming subscriptionCancellation

A fictional streaming service accepts signup in three online steps but requires a weekday telephone call, repeated identity questions and a retention interview to cancel.

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Cancellation friction

Five save offers block the final exit

Meal-plan accountCancellation

A fictional account shows a new discount, pause offer or survey after every click on “Cancel”, and the final confirmation appears only after five refusals.

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Comparison prevention

Plans use incompatible pricing units

Telecom comparisonPricing

A fictional provider shows one plan per week, another per four weeks and a third per gigabyte, without a consistent total or usage assumption.

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Comparison prevention

Plan details cannot be retained side by side

Insurance quote comparisonPricing

A fictional quote tool reveals one plan at a time, clears the previous plan whenever another is opened and provides no stable summary of limits, excess or exclusions.

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Customer-support obstruction

Support bot loops without escalation

Billing supportAccount Management

A fictional subscription service routes every “charged after cancellation” message through the same three bot articles and offers no human or written case route.

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Customer-support obstruction

Contact form requires irrelevant purchase data

Pre-sale accessibility queryPricing

A fictional retailer’s only contact form requires an order number and rejects enquiries from people seeking accessibility information before purchase.

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Dead end

Refund form loops after submission

Order supportAccount Management

A fictional refund form accepts every field, then returns to the first screen with “Something went wrong” and no saved state or alternative route.

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Dead end

Cancellation confirmation changes no account state

Subscription accountCancellation

A fictional service shows “Cancellation complete” but returns the user to an active-plan dashboard and continues renewal without a receipt or status event.

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Intermediate currency

Gem bundle hides an item’s real-money cost

In-game storeCheckout

A fictional game prices an item at 1,350 gems but sells gems only in uneven bundles, with no euro equivalent near the purchase action.

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Intermediate currency

Unused tokens remain after a service booking

Creator marketplaceCheckout

A fictional marketplace sells 100 tokens for €10 while a booking costs 84 tokens and no service costs a multiple that uses the remaining balance.

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Obstructed alternative

Guest checkout hidden behind account copy

Retail basketCheckout

A fictional shop displays account creation as the only button and places guest checkout inside a collapsed paragraph titled “Other information”.

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Obstructed alternative

Rejecting optional tracking needs multiple panels

Cookie preferencesSignup

A fictional consent layer accepts optional tracking in one click but requires opening three panels and disabling twelve switches to refuse it.

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Privacy maze

Advertising opt-out split across unrelated menus

Privacy settingsAccount Management

A fictional service places audience ads, partner sharing and measurement controls under three differently named menus with no summary of the final state.

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Privacy maze

Privacy choice silently re-enables elsewhere

Connected-device accountAccount Management

A fictional account lets users disable activity sharing on the web, but opening the mobile app silently restores the setting under a different label.

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Sources used across this example group

Evidence base

Sources

  1. Dark commercial patternsOrganisation for Economic Co-operation and Development · Secondary · checked 2026-09-14 · OECD Digital Economy Papers No. 336
  2. Unfair Commercial Practices DirectiveEuropean Parliament and Council of the European Union · Primary · checked 2026-08-09 · Directive 2005/29/EC; CELEX 02005L0029-20220528
  3. Digital Services ActEuropean Parliament and Council of the European Union · Primary · checked 2026-08-09 · Regulation (EU) 2022/2065; CELEX 32022R2065
  4. Consumer Rights DirectiveEuropean Parliament and Council of the European Union · Primary · checked 2026-08-09 · Directive 2011/83/EU; CELEX 02011L0083-20220528
  5. Digital Fairness Act: call for evidence for an impact assessmentEuropean Commission · Primary · checked 2026-08-09 · Initiative 14622; Ares(2025)6275573
  6. An Ontology of Dark Patterns KnowledgeGray et al.; ACM CHI 2024 · Secondary · checked 2026-09-14 · DOI 10.1145/3613904.3642436; arXiv:2309.09640
  7. Behavioural study on unfair commercial practices in the digital environmentEuropean Commission, Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers · Secondary · checked 2026-09-14 · DOI 10.2838/859030; ISBN 978-92-76-52316-1