A study was carried out to detect deceptive patterns in the websites and digital applications of over 100 Argentine companies

The Global Network for Privacy Compliance organized and requested the intervention of the Agency of Access to Public Information (AAIP) in the global study on the designs of different websites and digital applications to implement recommendations issued by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

The AAIP was the entity appointed to carry out the study in Argentina. As such, it contributed to the analysis of over 100 websites. It took two working days to detect misleading patterns in privacy policies and the browsing, communication, and credential parameters of websites. The AAIP chose websites and applications from different industries, such as pharmacies, health providers, gyms, shops, banks, and home delivery companies.

To carry out the global study, the different institutions around the world had to use five common indicators:

1. Complex and confusing language: globally, 89% of privacy policies were found to be written in technical and confusing language and 55% were over 3,000 words long. When the language is technical, confusing, or when the text is too long, users are more likely to accept the policy without understanding it. Therefore, privacy policies are sought to be written in plain and simple language.
2. Interface interference: 57% of websites and digital applications analyzed internationally made the option with the least privacy protection more visible than the least intrusive option.
3. Nagging: 35% of websites and digital apps repeatedly asked their users if they wanted to actually delete their account.
4. Obstruction: 39% of the websites and apps analyzed in the global study had a design that presented obstacles and difficulties for users when they wanted to access privacy settings or the section to delete their accounts.
5. Forced actions: 9% of websites and digital apps required more personal information from users when deleting the account, as compared to the data required when creating the account.