Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI), a self-regulatory body of the advertising industry, on Thursday said it wants to expand its code to address concerns around ’dark patterns’ in digital advertising, where consumers are manipulated into making choices that are detrimental to their interest.

’Dark patterns’ refers to a user interface that has been crafted to trick or manipulate users into making choices that are detrimental to their interest and is most prevalent while buying a product or service online, ASCI’s chief executive and secretary general Manisha Kapoor told reporters.

A consumer is tricked into buying a more expensive product, paying more than what was initially disclosed, sharing data or making choices based on false or paid-for reviews by deploying ’dark patterns’.

Kapoor said the ASCI noted that the dark patterns are a form of misleading ads, which is already covered by its code but the body wanted to specify the malpractices to make the code more contemporary.

It formed a task force to look into the issue, which has submitted its report, Kapoor said, adding that the public can comment on the proposed changes in the code by December 31.

ASCI is hopeful of expanding the code to include dark patterns.

Practices like drip pricing, trick questions, nagging, disguised ads, and bait and switch are the commonly found dark patterns on the internet, it said.

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Kapoor admitted that calling out dark patterns in ads is a challenge given how smartly these are disguised, but stressed on the need to improve the systems and call them out for protecting the interests of both consumers and honest brands.

ASCI said nearly a third of advertisements it processed in FY22, were disguised by influencers as regular content, which is also a part of dark patterns in advertising, and cryptocurrency, personal care, fashion and e-commerce were the categories with major violations.

Surveillance of the digital sphere is growing for ASCI, she said, adding that over half of the complaints received by ASCI were about digital advertising and television was only 2-3 per cent.

She made it clear that ASCI has no problems with the pricing strategies adopted by brands, but wants them to be done transparently without manipulating consumers.

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(Edited by : Anushka Sharma)