Unroll.me sells your inbox data, dark pattern privacy
Unroll.me, the email unsubscribe service got busted for spying on people's inboxes. The Washington Post article is one of the better non-paywalled:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2017/04/25/unroll-me-backlash-shows-us-exactly-whats-wrong-with-privacy-policies/?utm_term=.6dd92fef1f41
WP, like Gizmodo, points out the problem is that we don't read privacy polices, long, obscure, etc.
https://gizmodo.com/how-did-unroll-me-get-users-to-allow-it-to-sell-their-i-1794603555
The stick-it-to-you with the privacy policy is one example of a fairly shameful approach to exploiting regular, educated, middle class people, (and others, they are equal opportunity slimeballs), called dark pattern. Tricks to have you give up information, or worse. A web site devoted to what they do is below, DO NOT miss their hall of shame, it is very educational.
https://darkpatterns.org/
https://darkpatterns.org/hall-of-shame
Most of the time, they don't try to get you to agree to sign over all the data in your inbox for life, it is usually, to become a member with a yearly fee, or add special handling to your order. Here is one more article that shows some of the tricks.
https://www.theverge.com/2013/8/29/4640308/dark-patterns-inside-the-interfaces-designed-to-trick-you
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2017/04/25/unroll-me-backlash-shows-us-exactly-whats-wrong-with-privacy-policies/?utm_term=.6dd92fef1f41
WP, like Gizmodo, points out the problem is that we don't read privacy polices, long, obscure, etc.
https://gizmodo.com/how-did-unroll-me-get-users-to-allow-it-to-sell-their-i-1794603555
The stick-it-to-you with the privacy policy is one example of a fairly shameful approach to exploiting regular, educated, middle class people, (and others, they are equal opportunity slimeballs), called dark pattern. Tricks to have you give up information, or worse. A web site devoted to what they do is below, DO NOT miss their hall of shame, it is very educational.
https://darkpatterns.org/
https://darkpatterns.org/hall-of-shame
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| Photo by Andrew Neel |
Most of the time, they don't try to get you to agree to sign over all the data in your inbox for life, it is usually, to become a member with a yearly fee, or add special handling to your order. Here is one more article that shows some of the tricks.
https://www.theverge.com/2013/8/29/4640308/dark-patterns-inside-the-interfaces-designed-to-trick-you
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