SINGAPORE — A recent commentary by Sharon Ng of Nanyang Technological University’s Business School highlights that while Singapore’s consumer watchdog has taken action against misleading online sales tactics, merely flagging issues is not enough to protect consumers in the long term. 

Last year, the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCS) publicly called out major retailers such as Courts and PRISM+ for using website features that pressured visitors into purchases through deceptive design — a practice widely referred to as “dark patterns.” These include automatically adding unsolicited items to shopping carts or using false countdown timers to create a false sense of urgency. 

Although the companies quickly rectified the issues after the complaints, Ng argues that such responsiveness alone may not be sufficient to prevent future misuse of manipulative tactics. She suggests that stronger deterrents and regulatory measures are needed so that misleading sales practices are disincentivised before they occur, rather than addressed only after complaints arise. 

Dark patterns are not unique to Singapore. Globally, online marketplaces and platforms have faced scrutiny for similar tactics that can exploit consumer decision-making by design, often undermining user autonomy. This has led jurisdictions such as the EU to introduce broad restrictions on manipulative interface designs and consumer protections. 

Consumer advocates say that in addition to regulatory action, greater consumer awareness and education are necessary so that individuals can recognise and resist deceptive online practices. Only through a combination of enforcement, industry accountability, and informed users, the commentary argues, can the harmful effects of dark patterns be meaningfully reduced.