Privacy-Protective Design For Websites And Apps: Lessons From The Federal Privacy Commissioner's Report On Deceptive Design Patterns

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC) recently coordinated and participated in a global sweep of more than 1,000 websites and mobile applications to look for deceptive design patterns that hinder users from making informed decisions about their privacy. OPC sweepers found deceptive design patterns in almost all of the Canadian websites and apps they examined. This bulletin describes the findings from the privacy sweep and highlights key takeaways for businesses to consider when designing digital user interfaces.

The Privacy Sweep

The privacy sweep was an international effort by the Global Privacy Enforcement Network (GPEN), an informal network of privacy enforcement authorities that support information sharing, capacity building, and cross-border cooperation on matters related to privacy enforcement. Twenty-five privacy enforcement authorities from around the world participated in this year's privacy sweep, including the OPC, the Office of the