"Such UI/UX Designs Violate Regulations"... KFTC Releases Integrated Guidelines to Prevent Dark Patterns

Unified Regulation Materials and Institutional Changes Reflected

Blocking Deceptive Tactics Like Hidden Withdrawal Buttons and Stealthy Paid Conversions

An integrated guideline has been introduced to fundamentally block so-called 'dark patterns' (deceptive practices) that induce consumer confusion or mistakes for unfair gain in online shopping malls or mobile applications.

On October 6, the Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) announced that it has distributed the 'Online Interface Operation Guidelines for Prevention of Dark Patterns' to help business operators better understand regulations on dark patterns under the Electronic Commerce Act and to promote voluntary compliance. Previously, the KFTC established self-management guidelines for online dark patterns in July 2023 and released regulatory Q&A documents on six types in February 2025. The new guideline consolidates these previously scattered materials and incorporates changes in institutional circumstances.

The integrated guideline classifies and details 13 types of dark pattern practices, describing their concepts, the types of consumer harm caused, and key compliance requirements. For the representative deceptive practice of 'hindering cancellation or withdrawal,' it recommends that business operators design interfaces so that consumers can directly access membership cancellation or account withdrawal procedures with a single click on the homepage or My Page, rather than burying such buttons deep within menus like 'Edit Profile' or 'Security Settings' where they are hard to find. The guideline also reiterates the legal obligation to obtain consumers' prior consent and notification when increasing the price of recurring payments or converting a free service to a paid one, in addition to prohibiting misleading actions such as sequential pricing disclosure or pre-selection of particular options.

In the process of formulating the guideline, the KFTC gathered input from business associations and held consultations since the end of August to enhance its effectiveness and reflect feedback from the field. With the introduction of clear standards that allow businesses to eliminate the risk of legal violations from the outset of platform design, regulatory uncertainty in the industry is expected to be significantly reduced. The KFTC stated, "We expect this guideline to substantially help business operators better understand dark pattern regulations and smoothly fulfill their related obligations," adding, "Going forward, we will continue to monitor changes in the online transaction environment and new types of consumer harm, and respond strictly to any violations of the law."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.