TITLE:
Rethinking Interface Design in the Digital Society: Dark Patterns and Governance Strategies
AUTHORS:
Ning Li, Tuliguri
KEYWORDS:
Digital Platforms, Interface Design, Dark Patterns, Governance
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Computer and Communications,
Vol.13 No.11,
November
21,
2025
ABSTRACT: With the widespread application of digital platforms, interface design has evolved from mere information presentation into a crucial tool for shaping user behavior. As a design strategy that covertly manipulates user choices through visual, linguistic, and interactional pathways, dark patterns have been extensively embedded in sectors such as e-commerce, finance, education, healthcare, and social networking. Supported by big data analytics, algorithmic prediction, and behavioral modeling, dark patterns exploit users’ cognitive limitations and psychological biases to construct decision-making environments that appear free but are in fact controlled. This design practice has led to a series of social problems, including the infringement of user interests, cognitive manipulation, and privacy leakage. Addressing these challenges requires the advancement of social governance of dark patterns through legal, ethical, and technical approaches in a coordinated manner.