Dark Patterns: Cookies

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I guess the main consequences of the General Data Protection Regulation are lots of worn out mouse buttons and loss of time, but not increased privacy. Especially with websites using Dark Patterns to get visitors to allow for all usage.

The following image shows the cookie question of my webspace provider:

If you deselect “Statistik” [Statistics], the image looks like this:

Where would you click? Likely on the blue button. The one with “Auswahl bestätigen” [confirm selection] does not seem to be useable. But it is. And the click on the blue button — where you’d expect an “okay” or “confirm” button — actually allows for all usage, including “marketing” and “partnerships”. It doesn’t change the checkboxes and lets you evaluate your choice, it just takes your “choice” and removes to box. You think you only allowed for the checkboxes that were actually checked, instead, you’ve given them blanket permission.

Fuck it, that’s evil.

Guess I’ll have to switch to a new hosting service — anyone got any recommendations?