(NYTIMES) - Some things are difficult by design. Consider Amazon. The company perfected the one-click checkout. But cancelling a US$119 (S$160) Prime subscription is a labyrinthine process that requires multiple screens and clicks. Or Ticketmaster. Online customers are bombarded with options for ticket insurance, subscription services for razors and other items. And when users navigate through those, they can expect to receive a battery of text messages from the company with no clear option to stop them. These are examples of "dark patterns", the techniques that companies use online to get consumers to sign up for things, keep subscriptions they might otherwise cancel or turn over more personal data. They come in countless variations: giant blinking sign-up buttons, hidden unsubscribe links, red Xs that actually open new pages, countdown timers and pre-checked options for marketing spam. Think of them as the digital equivalent of trying to cancel a gym membership. The phrase was coined over a decade ago by a British user experience designer - who maintains an online "hall of shame". And since then, dark patterns have become only more effective and pernicious. Because of the scale o...