Understanding Dark Patterns in Home IoT Devices

Christo Wilson, Johanna Gunawan, David Choffnes, daniel dubois, woodrow hartzog

Abstract:

Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices are ubiquitous, but little attention has been paid to how they may incorporate dark patterns
despite consumer protections and privacy concerns arising from
their unique access to intimate spaces and always-on capabilities.
This paper conducts a systematic investigation of dark patterns in 57
popular, diverse smart home devices. We update manual interaction
and annotation methods for the IoT context, then analyze dark pattern frequency across device types, manufacturers, and interaction
modalities. We find that dark patterns are pervasive in IoT experiences, but manifest in diverse ways across device traits. Speakers,
doorbells, and camera devices contain the most dark patterns, with
manufacturers of such devices (Amazon and Google) having the
most dark patterns compared to other vendors. We investigate how
this distribution impacts the potential for consumer exposure to
dark patterns, discuss broader implications for key stakeholders
like designers and regulators, and identify opportunities for future
dark patterns study.