The pervasive use of dark UX strategies raises serious ethical questions for designers and businesses alike. By prioritizing short-term gains over user trust and satisfaction, organizations risk damaging their reputation and eroding customer loyalty in the long run. Moreover, the manipulation of users’ decision-making processes can have broader societal implications, contributing to a culture of distrust and cynicism towards digital products and services.
Furthermore, dark UX strategies disproportionately affect vulnerable populations, including children, the elderly, and individuals with limited digital literacy or cognitive abilities. By exploiting their cognitive vulnerabilities, designers may inadvertently harm these users and exacerbate existing inequalities in access to information and resources.