Complex or inaccessible language
Payment step changes language without warning
A fictional shop presents product and basket information in English but switches mandatory fee and return text to another language on the payment screen.
Individual HTML example · Interface interference
Cancellation consequence written in legalese
A fictional service describes the effect of cancellation through a 220-word clause containing undefined terms and cross-references immediately before confirmation.
This is an original fictional comparison. It depicts no real business and is not a regulator finding, statutory category or legal safe harbour.
Cancellation consequence written in legalese
A fictional service describes the effect of cancellation through a 220-word clause containing undefined terms and cross-references immediately before confirmation.
Effectuation of cessation. Undefined legal terms obscure what happens after the button is pressed.. Acknowledge cessation provision. End plan
Your plan ends on 30 September. No further renewal; files remain available until that date.. End plan. Acknowledge cessation provision. What happens next, expanded: Activating “End plan” produces the outcome stated on the control.
Why the first version can mislead: The presentation changes what the user can notice or predict at the cancellation decision. The problematic state shows: “Undefined legal terms obscure what happens after the button is pressed.” Its influence should be tested by comparing the consequence and usability of “Acknowledge cessation provision” with “End plan”. A subscriber may not understand billing, access or data consequences at the moment of choice.
What a fairer design does: Summarise the effective date, final charge, remaining access and data outcome in plain language, with legal detail available separately.
Show annotated differences (4)
Potentially problematic version
- Undefined legal terms obscure what happens after the button is pressed.Why this state matters: The presentation changes what the user can notice or predict at the cancellation decision. The problematic state shows: “Undefined legal terms obscure what happens after the button is pressed.” Its influence should be tested by comparing the consequence and usability of “Acknowledge cessation provision” with “End plan”. A subscriber may not understand billing, access or data consequences at the moment of choice.
- End planReview prompt: Do “Acknowledge cessation provision” and “End plan” receive comparable prominence and explain their consequences before activation?
Neutral alternative
- No further renewal; files remain available until that date.Fairer design: Summarise the effective date, final charge, remaining access and data outcome in plain language, with legal detail available separately.
- What happens next, expanded: Activating “End plan” produces the outcome stated on the control.Review prompt: Can the dialog be dismissed, what action does each control trigger, and what later state confirms or contradicts “The text is material to a decision”?
Review questions (3)
- Do “Acknowledge cessation provision” and “End plan” receive comparable prominence and explain their consequences before activation?
- Can the dialog be dismissed, what action does each control trigger, and what later state confirms or contradicts “The text is material to a decision”?
- What neutral rendering or comprehension result would falsify the classification, particularly in light of “Necessary technical terminology with clear explanation”?
Complete practice context
How this example relates to Complex or inaccessible language
Material guidance is presented in a language or level of complexity that makes informed choice materially harder for the target user. This is a design and research taxonomy for learning and evidence review, not a statutory offence label or an automatic finding that an interface is unlawful.
The full guide explains inclusion and exclusion criteria, potential harms, fairer design, evidence questions and separate Australian legal information layers. The example page isolates one scenario so it can be shared and discussed without reproducing the complete library on one page.
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Sources and provenance for this example
Evidence base
Sources
- An Ontology of Dark Patterns KnowledgeGray et al.; ACM CHI 2024 · Secondary · checked 2026-09-14 · DOI 10.1145/3613904.3642436; arXiv:2309.09640
- Competition and Consumer Amendment (Unfair Trading Practices) Act 2026Federal Register of Legislation · Primary · checked 2026-09-14 · C2026A00064