April 17, 2025
Australians of all ages are engaging with gaming to relax, learn or connect with friends, but common design features can leave players worse-off – 95% of Australian adult gamers encounter manipulative design practices in digital games, leading to financial losses and emotional distress.
A collaboration between CPRC and Monash University, this report explores:
95% of Australian players encountered at least one dark game patterns in the past 12 months.
58% had encountered more than 10 different types of dark game patterns in the past 12 months.
46% of players experienced financial detriment from digital gaming
52% encountered privacy harms
59% of players experienced negative impacts on their wellbeing
CPRC welcomes the opportunity to work further on this issue with government, regulators, policy makers, academia and the community sector.
If you are in one of the above groups and would like a one-on-one briefing for your organisation, contact our team today.
August 20, 2024
Subscribing is easy. It often takes seconds of our time. Frictionless processes mean that consumers can easily sign-up to streaming services, marketplace loyalty programs, health and fitness regimes. When a consumer no longer needs nor wants that subscription service however, the experience is often the inverse.
June 08, 2022
Dark patterns steer the choices we make online in ways that benefit businesses but can leave consumers worse off.
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