Coercion/manipulation
Coercion/manipulation - Use of a technology system to covertly alter user beliefs and behaviour using nudging, dark patterns and/or other opaque techniques, resulting in potential erosion of privacy, addiction, anxiety/distress, etc.
ENTITY
1 - Human
INTENT
1 - Intentional
TIMING
2 - Post-deployment
Risk ID
mit948
Domain lineage
4. Malicious Actors & Misuse
4.1 > Disinformation, surveillance, and influence at scale
Mitigation strategy
1. Establish and enforce comprehensive regulatory frameworks, such as those within the EU's Digital Services Act (DSA) and AI Act, to explicitly prohibit the use of purposefully manipulative or deceptive techniques and 'dark patterns' in digital interfaces and AI systems. This must be coupled with strong penalties for violations of user autonomy, informed consent, and data fairness principles (Sources 5, 7). 2. Mandate and verify algorithmic transparency for all technology systems that employ behavioral nudging or influence operations, requiring clear and continuous disclosure of design intents, data processing methods, and underlying models to users, and subjecting these systems to mandatory independent auditing to ensure ethical integrity and prevent covert manipulation (Sources 1, 3, 7, 17). 3. Implement scalable, systematic media and digital literacy programs to cultivate critical thinking skills among the user base. The focus should be on empowering individuals to recognize, evaluate, and resist manipulative persuasion tactics and disinformation, thereby strengthening individual autonomy and societal resilience against covert influence at scale (Sources 3, 17, 19).