Title | Dark Patterns for Unethical Software Engineering |
Publication Type | Conference Paper |
Year of Publication | 2024 |
Authors | Pautasso, C. |
Conference Name | 31st International Conference on Pattern Languages of Programs, People & Practices (PLoP) |
Month | October |
Conference Location | Portland, OR |
Abstract | Unethical software engineers write software to satisfy harmful requirements. While patterns promote beneficial solutions to recurring problems, dark patterns intentionally introduce harmful solutions. In this paper we present a collection of 16 dark patterns widely used by unethical software engineers to violate users privacy (email pixel injector, stealthy input logger), pursue monetization at all costs (aggressive advertiser, ad-blocker detector, pay to win, artificial scarcity hoarder, DRM rug puller, obsolescence planner), commit digital frauds (cybersquatter, sneaky terms degrader, interoperability breaker), manipulate search rankings (fake review generator, search ranking kickbacker), and engage in unethical artificial intelligence practices (training data harvester, bot pretender, deceptive deepfaker). By discussing the ethical consequences of each pattern we aim to raise awareness about them and encourage their avoidance by ethical software engineers, architects and practitioners. |
Citation Key | 2024:plop |
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