In the past couple of years, we’ve seen a tipping point in how applications handle user experience. Many product teams love to say they’re focused on creating delightful experiences for the customer, but the reality is we’re seeing more and more intentional design choices that subtly trap users in a funnel that benefits the company more than the individual.

Take Apple, for instance. In the early days of the Apple TV, the frustrating remote design nudged users into syncing their iPhones just to get a smoother experience. It was a subtle way of pushing personalization through their ecosystem without really telling customers that’s what they were doing. And similarly, Apple’s insistence on continuous billing verification means users end up locked into updating their payment info just to keep basic app functionality.

These are classic “dark UX” patterns: design choices that serve the company’s interests first and turn the user experience into a means of control rather than delight.

So how do we, as product and UX professionals, push back on this trend?

First, we can have honest conversations with leadership about long-term trust. While a dark UX pattern might boost short-term metrics, it can erode customer goodwill over time. We can share data or case studies that show how ethical, customer-friendly design actually builds loyalty and can be more sustainable in the long run.

We can also arm ourselves with tactics—like reframing the business conversation around customer lifetime value, advocating for A/B tests that highlight the benefits of a more transparent approach, and having those open discussions about what kind of brand we want to be.

In the end, it’s about steering the conversation back to the core of good product design: putting the customer first. And when we do that, we’re not just advocating for users—we’re building a healthier, more sustainable product culture.