User Hostile Design: A Comparative Analysis of Dark Patterns on Instagram and TikTok

Abstract

This dissertation discusses the importance of understanding and addressing user-hostile design practices, specifically dark patterns, by undertaking a research project on Instagram and TikTok. The research examines how these platforms use manipulative interface designs to influence user behaviour, exploiting biases for economic gain while compromising user autonomy and privacy. Using the methods of a comparative case study approach, supported by over 100 screenshots and frameworks like Political Economy, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), and Actor-Network Theory (ANT), the study systematically identifies the deployment of dark patterns such as Privacy Zuckering, Forced Action, Preselection, and Confirmshaming. The main findings are that Instagram employs more visually overt and frequent dark patterns, while TikTok uses subtler manipulative techniques. Both platforms tend to combine multiple patterns in ways that reinforce each other, particularly in areas involving privacy and user control. The conclusions are that these dark patterns pose significant ethical challenges, suggesting a need for stronger regulations and design guidelines to safeguard user rights and privacy in digital environments.