EU's proposed Digital Fairness Act takes aim at Duolingo streaks, autoplay, and manipulative apps
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In brief: Plenty of apps work hard to retain users, whether it's a pop-up claiming only two items are left or even something like a Duolingo streak you're scared to break. On Wednesday, the European Commission proposed a Digital Fairness Act that would outlaw many of those manipulative "dark patterns." Surprisingly, it doesn't stop at protecting kids. Adults would get to switch off addictive features like autoplay and streaks, too.
That off switch could reach well beyond social media. As WIRED notes, it would cover the daily streaks in apps like Strava and Duolingo. That could sting, since streaks are how those apps keep people coming back. Duolingo once wrote that a new streak animation alone made brand-new learners 1.7% more likely to stick around for a week.
Until now, Brussels could...
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