Padrões enganosos de design e a erosão da autonomia do usuário no ambiente virtual

Abstract

Deceptive patterns are UX design structures in applications, websites, and systems that are used to steer user actions with the intent of maximizing the platform's own gains to the detriment of the individual's well-being. The main objective of this study is to analyze and synthesize the primary literature on the subject to understand how they work and to provide examples. The results indicate that the manipulation of choice architecture takes advantage of human cognitive vulnerabilities (e.g., loss aversion, cognitive fatigue, status quo bias), compromising the legal and psychological concept of free consent. The study concludes that user awareness alone will not ensure digital autonomy; rather, a regulatory approach based on the prohibition of behavioral coercion infrastructures is required.