The article discusses how popular mobile games and apps, such as Clash of Clans and Tinder, employ psychological techniques reminiscent of gambling to maximize user engagement and spending. These techniques include time-gates, variable reward schedules, and dark patterns that manipulate users into making purchases. Match Group, Tinder's parent company, faces legal challenges due to the addictive nature of their design, raising questions about the legality of such practices. Increasing awareness of these manipulative strategies has sparked backlash and potential legal change, particularly in regions like India where dark patterns are becoming illegal.
In Clash of Clans, building your base takes time. Sometimes days. But for a few gems (the premium currency), you can finish instantly.
These time-gates are carefully calculated to be just annoying enough that spending feels good, but not so annoying that you quit.
Match Group's legal troubles highlight an uncomfortable truth about the industry: many of these techniques aren't just psychologically manipulative, they may be legally actionable.
As users become more aware of these patterns, we're seeing pushback across every category of app.
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