Module: General Practice
Q22: Under the RBI rules on dark patterns, what happens when a bank deploys a forced action?
✅ Correct Answer: C
The correct answer is a user is forced to buy an additional product or share personal information solely to buy their intended product.
This trick happens when a person is forced to subscribe to an unrelated service just to get the main thing they originally wanted.
A good example is a mobile banking advertisement for a personal loan that forces the user to the loan page even after they clearly click the exit or close button.
However, asking for access to personal data like a camera, storage, or location is not legally considered a forced action if the request is made just to follow official rules and has been clearly explained to the user.
This trick happens when a person is forced to subscribe to an unrelated service just to get the main thing they originally wanted.
A good example is a mobile banking advertisement for a personal loan that forces the user to the loan page even after they clearly click the exit or close button.
However, asking for access to personal data like a camera, storage, or location is not legally considered a forced action if the request is made just to follow official rules and has been clearly explained to the user.
🧠 Real-World Scenario:
Imagine a student just wants to open a zero-balance digital savings account online. Suddenly, the website refuses to let them finish unless they also subscribe to a paid "Lifestyle Newsletter".
According to the rules, they can report this as a Forced Action dark pattern. This means a bank cannot hold your primary request hostage just to squeeze extra subscriptions out of you.