Deceptive Patterns and Perceptual Risks in an Eye-Tracked Virtual Reality

In the context of targeted advertisements and design, the line between nudging and manipulation is difficult to define, measure, and enforce. The discussion of what crosses the line between nudging users towards content they may find more enjoyable and what could manipulate them towards specific behaviors is common when defining deceptive or dark patterns. Dark patterns are increasingly present in both web and mobile contexts: producing interface designs that make it difficult to cancel subscriptions or make informed decisions that differ from default settings. In this position paper, we discuss behavior manipulation via eye tracking and the ethical implications of attention guidance in the context of virtual reality (VR) to highlight key challenges for an emerging technology in immersive spaces.