In December 2022, Fortnite-maker Epic Games reached a $520 million settlement with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) over a trifecta of data privacy no-no’s: data collection from minors, shady billing practices, and the bedrock of the suit—“dark patterns.”

Legaltech News reported on “dark patterns” last year when it was outlined in detail in the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA). A dark pattern is a user interface designed so that a consumer is manipulated into making choices that are in the business’s interests. For example, a pre-checked “accept all cookies” box or an extra item snuck into your checkout basket by default.