对话|为什么App的“取消”按钮会做那么小?

《对话》20260520期

Dark patterns on the web are designed to manipulate you – why aren’t they all illegal?

Website designs that try to change your behavior cross a line when they outright deceive.

网页界面的“暗黑模式”是为了掌控你而创造出来的——但为什么多数情况下它们是合法的？

那些试图改变用户操作的网站设计，一旦公然欺骗用户，就越过了底线。

Highlights:

✅刷软件时总被刻意弹窗裹挟选择，暗藏玄机的网页设计暗藏陷阱。这类套路为何难以全面封禁？一起来探寻网络暗黑设计背后的法律逻辑。

✅wear sb. down，borrow from，in the wild等写作推荐短语

✅dark pattern，Guilt Induction，FTC Act等的相关拓展介绍

Keywords:

dark pattern/暗黑设计

consumer protection/消费者权益保护

deception/欺诈

Mindmap:

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TITLE

Dark patterns on the web are designed to manipulate you – why aren’t they all illegal?

Website designs that try to change your behavior cross a line when they outright deceive.

网页界面的“暗黑模式”是为了掌控你而创造出来的——但为什么多数情况下它们是合法的？

那些试图改变用户操作的网站设计，一旦公然欺骗用户，就越过了底线。

精讲解析

No.1 dark pattern

暗黑设计模式（Dark Pattern）由英国设计师 Harry Brignull 于2010年提出，指的是在数字界面中通过视觉、交互和信息架构策略，引导用户做出对平台或企业有利、但可能不符合用户利益的行为。这种设计不仅仅是界面上的“诱导”，更是利用用户心理偏差和认知漏洞来影响决策。

No.2 manipulate

/məˈnɪpjuleɪt/v.操纵；操作，处理；巧妙地控制；[医]推拿，调整。例句：The squad condemned his behavior as spineless, claiming he sought to manipulate legislative loopholes to dodge military service.这群人谴责他的行为懦弱无能，声称他试图操纵法律漏洞以逃避兵役。[四级六级考研]

No.3 cross a line

超过权限；越界；做得过火。例句：If your child is having a problem makes the teacher aware of it and don't cross the line of saying that you demand your child not play with Tommy anymore. 如果你的孩子出了问题让老师知道就可以了，别太过分的要求你的孩子不能再和Tommy玩了。

No.4 outright

/ˈaʊtraɪt/adv.公然地；完全地；彻底地；坦率地，不客气地；即刻，马上；adj.完全的，彻底的；直率的；明白的；总共的。例句：The resolution stopped short of an outright declaration of independence.这项决议几乎成为公开的独立宣言。[托福雅思]

No.5 deceive

/dɪˈsiːv/v.欺骗；蒙骗（自己）；误导。例句：His dishonesty can deceive everyone completely and make them feel betrayed.他的不诚实能完全欺骗所有人，并让他们感到被背叛。[四级六级考研]

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You open a free app to do one simple thing. Before you even start, a full-screen message asks whether you want to try the paid version. The “Start free trial” button is large, bright and hard to miss. The option to keep using the free version is smaller, buried at the bottom. The same prompt appears again tomorrow. And the day after that. A lot of people look at screens like that and think, “Surely this has to be illegal.”We even have a name for them, “dark patterns.” They feel pushy. They waste time.They seem designed to wear you down. But in most cases, they are perfectly lawful.

你打开一个免费应用，只想做一件简单的事。还没开始，一个全屏弹窗就问你要不要试用付费版。“开始免费试用”按钮又大又醒目，让人难以忽视。继续使用免费版的选项则更小，被埋在页面底部。第二天，同样的提示又出现了。第三天也是如此。很多人看到这样的界面都会想：“这肯定违法了吧。”我们甚至给它们起了个名字，叫“暗黑模式”。它们给人压力。它们浪费时间。它们似乎就是为了磨光你的耐心而设计的。但在大多数情况下，它们完全合法。

单词解析

No.6 bury

/ˈberi/v.隐藏，掩藏；安葬；埋藏；覆盖；使陷入，把…插入（某物）；失去（心爱的人）。例句：The concealed warhead was buried beneath the verdant slope, shrouded by dense, unmanaged vegetation.隐蔽的弹头被埋在青翠的山坡下，被浓密而未经修剪的植被所覆盖。[四级六级]熟词僻义

No.7 prompt

/prɑːmpt/n.提示；提词；激励；提示符；adj.敏捷的；迅速的；立刻的；准时的；v.促使；导致；鼓励；提示。例句：When the battery voltage is too low, a low voltage on the screen prompt.当电池电压过低时, 屏幕上有低电压提示符号。[四级六级考研]

No.8 pushy

/pʊʃɪ/adj.咄咄逼人的；固执己见的，一意孤行的；有进取心的。例句：She supported us with gentle encouragement, never being pushy.她以温和的鼓励支持我们，从不咄咄逼人。[四级六级]

No.9 wear sb. down

使（某人）精疲力竭，磨垮（某人）。例句：Both sides are trying to wear the other down by being obstinate in the negotiations.双方在谈判中都不肯让步，试图耗尽对方的耐性。写作推荐

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“Dark pattern” is not a legal term with a clear boundary. It is a broad label for digital designs that nudge, pressure, confuse or trap users. As a legal scholar who studies consumer protection and digital design, I think the most important thing for readers to understand is that the label “dark pattern” covers a broad spectrum. Some of that spectrum is just annoying. Some of it is aggressive salesmanship. And some of it crosses the line into deception or coercion. Federal and state consumer protection laws are mostly aimed at that last category. They do not ban every design choice people dislike, only those that trick or coerce.

“暗黑模式”并非一个具有明确界定的法律术语。它是一个宽泛的标签，用于指代那些通过暗示、施压、混淆或诱捕手段影响用户的数字设计。作为一名研究消费者保护与数字设计的法学家，我认为读者最需要理解的是，“暗黑模式”这一标签涵盖的范围非常广泛。一部分仅仅会让人讨厌；一部分属于激进的推销手段；而有些则越界到了欺骗或胁迫的程度。联邦和各州的消费者保护法主要针对的是最后这一类。法律仅针对那些具有欺骗或胁迫性质的设计，不是所有讨人厌的设计都会被禁止使用。

单词解析

No.10 boundary

/ˈbaʊndri/n.边界，分界线。例句：The boundary between acceptable behavior and misconduct is often unclear.可接受行为与不当行为之间的界限常常模糊不清。[四级六级考研]

No.11 nudge

/nʌdʒ/v.推动；（尤指用肘部）轻推，轻触；接近（更高点或水平）。例句：Let’s nudge the marketing team to finalize the plan by Friday.我们需提醒市场部周五前敲定方案。

No.12 spectrum

/ˈspektrəm/n.范围；系列；光谱；波谱。例句：Economic development relates to progress along a wide spectrum of technological, economic, social and cultural dimensions.经济发展涉及到范围广泛的技术、经济、社会和文化等各方面的进展。[六级考研 GRE]

No.13 salesmanship

/ˈseɪlzmənʃɪp/n.推销术；说服力；销售。例句：His exceptional salesmanship completely won me over.他出色的推销技巧彻底打动了我。

No.14 deception

/dɪˈsɛpʃən/n.欺骗，骗局。例句：You've fallen into a cunning deception that left you heartbroken.你陷入了一个让你心碎的狡猾骗局。[四级六级 GRE]

No.15 coercion

/koʊˈɜrʒn/n.强迫，胁迫；高压政治；强制；威压。例句：She insisted she had only complied due to coercion.她坚称她只是由于胁迫才顺从的。[GRE]

No.16 coerce

/koʊˈɜrs/v.强迫，强制；控制，限制；威胁；逼迫。例句：Potter maintained that the government attempted to coerce him into admitting guilt.波特坚称政府曾试图强迫他认罪。[GRE 雅思]

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That reality may sound unsatisfying, but it is not unusual. Offline life is full of things that are irritating but not unlawful. Think of the cashier（收银员）who asks whether you want to sign up for the store credit card, then points out the discount you are turning down, then asks again. Most people know exactly what is happening. They roll their eyes, say no and try to shop somewhere else next time. The same is true online. A repeated pop-up can be obnoxious. A guilt-inducing button can be tacky. But consumers recognize ordinary annoyance for what it is. In many cases, the market answer is simple: Close the app, ignore the pitch or take your business elsewhere.

现实听起来或许令人不快，但这也并非个例。现实生活中充斥着许多令人恼火却并不违法的事情。试想一下，收银员问你是否要办理该店的信用卡，接着说你将会错过折扣，然后再问你一遍。大多数人都心知肚明。他们翻个白眼，说“不要”，并打算下次去别处购物。网络世界也是如此。反复弹出的窗口可能让人烦躁，那些试图激发愧疚感的按钮可能显得很俗。但消费者很清楚这些寻常烦扰的本质。在许多情况下，市场的回应很简单：关闭应用、无视推销，或者另寻他处消费。

单词解析

No.17 offline

/ˌɑfˈlaɪn/adj.现实的；线下的；未连线的；未联机的；脱机的；离线的。例句：For online and offline purchases, visit this website.线上和线下购物请访问这个网站。

No.18 irritating

/'ɪrɪteɪtɪŋ/adj.气人的，使人不愉快的；<医>起刺激作用的；v.使恼怒，使急躁; 使感到不适，使疼痛。例句：The poem proves far more irritating than the lines people frequently quote would imply.这首诗比人们经常引用的那几句诗行要恼人得多。[四级六级雅思]

No.19 unlawful

/ʌnˈlɔfəl/adj.非法的，违法的；不合法的；不正当的；私生的。例句：The broken window was clear evidence of unlawful access.破损的窗户明显证明了非法进入。

No.20 roll one's eyes

不以为然；不耐烦；翻白眼；转动眼珠。例句：When I told her I forgot my homework again, she rolled her eyes.当我告诉她我又忘记写作业了，她翻白眼了。

No.21 pop-up

/ˈpɒp ʌp/adj.弹起的；有自动起跳装置的。文中指“弹窗”。例句：Spyware slows computers down, and creates pop up ads.间谍软件使电脑变慢, 制造弹出广告。

No.22 obnoxious

/əbˈnɑːkʃəs/adj.讨厌的；易受伤害；应受谴责的。例句：The obnoxious behavior of nearby diners forced me to move to another table.附近食客令人厌恶的行为迫使我换到了另一张桌子。[GRE 雅思]

No.23 guilt-inducing

该词来源于：愧疚诱导（Guilt Induction），是一种通过激发他人的愧疚感来控制其行为和情绪的策略。它的本质在于，将对方的正常选择或行为扭曲成“不道德”的行为，从而迫使对方屈服。就像心理学家卡伦·霍尼所说：“愧疚是灵魂的毒药。”在这种操控下，许多人会陷入自我怀疑，怀疑自己的需求是否正当，甚至将“赎罪”视为存在的意义。愧疚诱导的运作机制可以分为三大类：情感绑架、制造牺牲感以及预设道德标准。

No.24 tacky

/ˈtæki/adj.俗气的；褴褛的；缺乏教养或风度的；发黏的。例句：This is sort of tacky gift for a birthday.这个生日礼物有点俗气。

No.25 pitch

/pɪtʃ/n.推销（的话），说教；（体育比赛的）场地；程度，顶点；音高；沥青；v.抛，扔；向前跌倒；颠簸；把（球）投给击球员。例句：Each company was given ten minutes to make its pitch.每个公司有十分钟时间做推销宣传。[四级六级考研]熟词僻义

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Similarly, law does not ban persuasive sales pitches just because they are effective. A car salesperson who keeps steering you toward the upgraded model is trying to influence your choice. So is the airline clerk who offers travel insurance. So is the restaurant server who asks whether you want dessert. Salesmanship is nothing new. Digital design often borrows from familiar techniques. That helps explain why lawmakers cannot simply outlaw “manipulation.” And so many interfaces are built to persuade, openly and lawfully.

同样，法律并不会仅仅因为劝诱性推销有效就加以禁止。不断引导你选择升级车型的汽车销售员在试图影响你的决定，提供旅行保险的航空公司柜台职员也是如此，问你需不需要甜点的餐厅服务员还是如此。推销术由来已久。网络设计常常借鉴这些熟悉的技巧。这有助于解释为什么立法者不能简单地将“操控”一律禁止，众多界面都是公开且合法地为说服用户而设计的。

单词解析

No.26 persuasive

/pəˈsweɪsɪv/adj.有说服力的；劝导性的。例句：She made a persuasive speech.她发表了一场有说服力的演讲。[六级考研]

No.27 sales pitches

推销话术；营销说辞。例句：The salesman used attractive sales pitches.销售员使用吸引人的推销话术。

No.28 steer

/stɪə(r)/v.引导；操纵；驾驶。文中指 “诱导、引导顾客选择商品”。例句：He tried to steer the conversation away from the topic.他试图把谈话引离该话题。[四级六级考研]

No.29 upgraded

/ʌpˈɡreɪdɪd/adj.升级的；改良的。例句：The store launched upgraded mobile phones.门店推出了升级款手机。[六级]

No.30 borrow from

借鉴；取自；效仿。例句：The story borrows from real life experience.这个故事借鉴了现实生活经历。写作推荐

No.31 outlaw

/ˈaʊtlɔː/vt.宣布……不合法；取缔；n.亡命之徒。例句：The country decided to outlaw dangerous drugs.该国决定取缔危险药品。[六级考研]

No.32 manipulation

/məˌnɪpjuˈleɪʃn/n.操控；操纵；摆布。例句：Public opinion resists improper manipulation. 舆论抵制不正当操控。[六级考研]

No.33 interface

/ˈɪntəfeɪs/n.界面；接口；交互界面。文中指 “软件、产品操作界面”。例句：The software interface is easy to use.这款软件界面简单易用。[六级考研]

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What the federal FTC Act and analogous state consumer-deception statutes usually care about is not whether a design is annoying. They focus on whether the design is likely to mislead a reasonable consumer. That is the core idea in modern consumer protection law. So a design is likelier to be unlawful when it hides key facts, makes an optional choice look mandatory or tricks people about the effect of the button they are pressing. A fake countdown timer, a disguised ad, a misleading one-click purchase button or a cancellation path that looks finished when it is not are all different from ordinary hard selling. Those designs do not just pressure users; they can deceive them.

联邦贸易委员会法案以及各州类似的消费者欺诈法规，关心的通常并不是某个设计是否令人厌烦。它们关注的是该设计是否可能误导理性的消费者。这是现代消费者保护法的核心理念。因此，如果一个设计是在隐藏关键的事实、让可选选择看起来像是强制性的，或者在用户按下按钮的实际效果上欺骗他们，该这种设计就更容易被认定为违法。虚假的倒计时器、伪装的广告、误导性的一键购买按钮，或是看似已完成但实则并未完成的取消路径——这些都与普通的强行推销不同。这些设计不只是向用户施压，它们还可能欺骗用户。

单词解析

No.34 FTC Act

联邦贸易委员会法案，正式颁布于 1914 年，是美国极具影响力的基础性商事与消费者保护法律，由美国联邦贸易委员会全权监督执行。法案核心宗旨为维护公平有序的市场交易秩序，严厉约束各类损害消费者合法权益、扰乱行业竞争的商业行为。管控范畴涵盖虚假夸大宣传、套路式欺诈营销、具有误导性的界面设计、强制捆绑消费、隐性诱导操作等违规商业模式，明确界定商业推广、产品设计、交易流程的合法红线，以此保障普通消费者知情权与选择权，同时规范企业经营行为，维护健康良性的市场环境。

No.35 analogous

/əˈnæləɡəs/adj.相似的；类比的。例句：This case is analogous to the previous one.这个案例与上一个性质相近。[六级考研]

No.36 mandatory

/ˈmændətri/adj.强制的；法定的。例句：Safety check is a mandatory procedure.安全核验是必经强制流程。[六级考研]

No.37 disguise

/dɪsˈɡaɪz/adj.伪装的；v.掩饰，伪装。例句：Disguised ads are hard to distinguish.伪装广告难以被分辨。[六级考研]

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That is also why the app maker’s intent is not always the key question. In many consumer protection cases, a company does not get a free pass just because no one said, “Let’s trick people.” The legal question is often about effect: What would a reasonable user likely understand from this screen? Research on dark patterns reinforces that concern. Even relatively mild designs can push people into choices they would not otherwise make. And regulators have increasingly focused on subscription flows, hidden fees and cancellation obstacles for exactly that reason.

这也是为什么应用开发者的意图并不总是关键问题所在。在许多消费者保护案件中，一家公司并不会仅仅因为没人说过“我们来骗人吧”就能免责。法律问题常常关乎实际效果：一个理性的用户从眼前的界面中，可能会理解到什么？关于暗黑模式的研究加深了这一担忧。即便是相对温和的设计，也可能推动人们做出他们原本不会做的选择。监管机构也正是出于这一原因，才越来越关注订阅流程、隐藏收费和取消障碍。

单词解析

No.38 intent

/ɪnˈtent/n.意图，目的；心意；蓄意。adj. 专注的；执意的。文中指 “主观创作、运营意图”。例句：The court judged the true intent of the firm.法院判定这家企业的真实意图。[六级考研]

No.39 reinforce

/ˌriːɪnˈfɔːs/v.强化；加深；加固；增援。例句：Facts reinforce people’s worry about tricky design.事实加深人们对套路设计的担忧。[六级考研]

No.40 mild

/maɪld/adj.轻微的；温和的；平缓的；不激进的。文中指 “诱导程度较轻的”。例句：Mild guidance may also affect user decisions.温和引导也会影响用户抉择。[四级六级考研]

No.41 push sb into

迫使；促使；推着做出。例句：Hidden hints push users into unnecessary payment.隐性暗示迫使用户进行非必要消费。写作推荐

No.42 focus on

聚焦；着重关注；致力于。例句：Officials focus on regulating tricky online designs.监管人员着重整治网络套路设计。写作推荐

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One reason people might think there are no laws against dark patterns is that they see them so often. But that frequency reflects that the term covers a wide range of conduct, from lawful nagging to outright deception. It also reflects enforcement limits. Regulators cannot chase every irritating screen on every app and website. They have to prioritize the worst cases. That leaves a lot of borderline conduct in the wild, which makes the whole problem feel bigger and murkier to ordinary users.

人们可能认为没有法律来管暗黑模式，原因之一就是它们真的随处可见。但这种普遍性正反映出该术语涵盖的行为范围很广，从合法的反复催促到赤裸裸的欺骗都有，也反映出了执法的局限。监管机构不可能去追查每个应用和网站上每一处令人反感的界面，他们必须优先处理最恶劣的案件。这就使得大量处于边界地带的行为在现实中泛滥，让普通用户觉得整个问题更为严重，更难分辨。

单词解析

No.43 nag

/næɡ/v.反复催促；不断提醒；纠缠烦扰；n.唠叨；烦扰行为。文中指“弹窗反复推送劝导类营销”。例句：The page keeps nagging users to buy membership.页面不断催促用户开通会员。[六级]

No.44 enforcement

/ɪnˈfɔːsmənt/n.执行；实施；执法；强制执行。例句：Strict law enforcement restricts improper design.严格执法约束违规界面设计。[六级考研]

No.45 borderline

/ˈbɔːdəlaɪn/adj.临界的；模糊界限的；介于两者之间的；n.边界线；分界线。文中指“介于合法与违法之间的”。例句：Borderline behavior is hard to clearly judge.界限模糊的行为难以清晰判定。[六级]

No.46 in the wild

现实场景中；实际环境里；普遍存在。例句：Unstandardized designs still exist in the wild.不规范设计依旧普遍存在。写作推荐

No.47 murky

/ˈmɜːki/adj.模糊不清的；隐晦的；浑浊的；不明朗的。例句：The dividing line becomes murkier day by day.行为界定边界日渐变得模糊。[六级考研]

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So when people ask why there is not a law against dark patterns, the best answer is that there already is, but the law does not prohibit every annoying or high-pressure design. It targets lies, misleading cues and coercive obstacles. That line can be fuzzy. But the fuzziness is not a mistake. It is what you get when the law tries to separate persuasion from deception in a world full of both.