Singapore’s consumer body takes bolder action against misleading sellers, says CEO

GREENWASHING AND “DARK PATTERNS”

In the near future, the CCCS plans to act against greenwashing and “dark patterns” to strengthen consumer protection.

Greenwashing is when a company misleads consumers into believing that its products or practices have greater environmental benefits than they actually do. Last year, for example, electronics retailer PRISM+ came under fire for an ad claiming that using its air conditioner was the “best tip” for “saving the Earth.”

Mr Koh pointed out that since Singapore imports most of what it consumes, it is difficult to implement advertising standards against greenwashing unless these standards can be harmonized globally.

But he said the commission was developing a set of guidelines “to help companies make accurate and truthful claims about their products.” These are expected to be open for public consultation later this year.

“We hope these guidelines will help these companies make green claims with greater clarity and confidence,” he said.

Next year, “dark patterns” on e-commerce websites will also be an area of ​​focus for the new CCCS policy unit.

Dark patterns, also called deceptive patterns, refer to user interfaces that trick consumers into doing things they otherwise wouldn’t want to do.

These tricks can include hidden costs, automatic enrollment in paid subscriptions after a free trial making it difficult to cancel subscriptions, and disguised advertisements.

The term was coined in 2010 by Dr. Harry Brignull, a user experience designer based in the United Kingdom. Since then, dark patterns have come under increasing scrutiny from regulators in the UK, US and European Union.

Mr Koh likened this to a gym membership which can only be canceled by visiting the business during business hours and speaking with staff who will try to get the consumer to keep their membership .

“It shouldn’t be like this,” he said. “It’s part of a whole pattern of behavior, where people can actually design their websites to try to trick a consumer.”

Dark schemes may not be criminal in Singapore, but they may be an unfair practice, and the CCCS wants to teach consumers to be more discerning in e-commerce, he added.

“You shouldn’t browse the internet feeling like you have to be ultra-attentive, or you might end up paying for something you didn’t want.”