How dark patterns shape our online lives and how we can build a fairer digital world

Marie Potel Saville, founder and CEO of FairPatterns, was recently invited on the Sqool TV show “L’École du Futur” to discuss a topic that touches each of us. We spend hours on digital platforms that feel simple and welcoming, yet many of them quietly influence our behaviour. They guide what we buy, what we share and even how long we stay online. Most of the time, we barely notice it.

With 95% of households having internet access and the vast majority of 11-17 year olds using at least one platform daily, these digital environments occupy a central place in our lives. But the scale of manipulation is staggering: according to a 2022 European Commission study, 97% of the 75 most popular websites contain dark patterns.

Watch the interview

What are dark patterns

Marie explains dark patterns as design choices that “gently” push us toward decisions we might not have made if everything had been transparent. To illustrate this, she invites us to imagine walking into a real store where someone places items in our basket without asking, changes the price at the last moment or whispers suggestions to make us stay longer.

In the physical world, this would feel completely unacceptable. Online, it has become common.

Why young people are especially at risk

Dark patterns do not affect everyone equally. Teenagers and children are particularly sensitive to design features that are hard to resist such as endless scrolling, autoplay and constant notifications. Their brains are still developing, which makes them much more vulnerable to these mechanisms.

These same designs can also encourage them to share personal information or make purchases they never intended. A well known example is the Fortnite case, where Epic Games was fined $520 million by the Federal Trade Commission. The game made it difficult to distinguish between free and paid items (such as shields needed to progress), leading children, teenagers and adults to spend hundreds of dollars unintentionally.  

If it is illegal, why does it still happen

It may come as a surprise that dark patterns are already forbidden by European regulations such as the GDPR, the Digital Services Act and the AI Act. Despite this, most popular websites still rely on them.

Marie highlights that the burden cannot fall on users. Digital interfaces are created to be fast and frictionless. It is unrealistic to expect individuals to examine every choice or warning. Real progress requires stronger enforcement and changes at a systemic level.

She notes that something fundamental has been changing over the past 2-3 years: regulatory authorities are finally grasping the dangers posed by dark patterns and pursuing much stronger enforcement policies.

A new challenge: AI companions

Marie also talks about a growing trend that deserves attention: AI companions. These tools are designed to mimic emotional closeness. They often encourage people to stay longer in the conversation, especially when someone tries to stop. For young users, who may already feel isolated or curious, this can create unhealthy attachment.

A hopeful direction with Fair Patterns

The interview closes on a positive message. When Marie first learned about dark patterns, she wondered whether the opposite could be created. This idea became the foundation of FairPatterns. Today, FairPatterns helps organisations design digital experiences that allow people to make clear and informed choices. The aim is simple: return autonomy to users and rebuild trust online.

Marie’s conversation on Sqool TV reminds us that design plays an enormous role in shaping our digital lives. As AI becomes more powerful and interfaces more persuasive, fairness and transparency are not just nice to have. They are essential. FairPatterns was created to support this shift and to show that a safer and more honest digital world is entirely within reach.

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