ODPA sweeps gambling sites as part of a global initiative

ODPA staff took part in the Global Privacy Enforcement Network (GPEN) ‘privacy sweep’ on 1 February 2024, joining data protection authorities from around the world to shine a light on a key industry issue or trend.

This year’s focus is the use of ‘Deceptive Design Patterns’ also known as ‘Dark Patterns’ and the ODPA is concentrating on gambling sites.

Deceptive design patterns are when websites/apps deliberately try to deceive you into making unintended, unwilling or potentially harmful decisions. A common example of this is when it’s super easy for you to sign up to something, but super difficult to cancel it (this is sometimes called the ‘roach motel’, named after a US brand of cockroach traps).

The aims of the global sweep include broadening public and corporate awareness of privacy rights and responsibilities, encouraging legal compliance and creating greater consumer trust by demonstrating a coordinated domestic and international regulatory presence.

The OPDA and other regulatory partners will publicise the results of the sweep later this year.