Tag: consumer vulnerability
Getting to know you: What do genetic testing companies get when you send them your DNA?
/Have you taken a DNA test to find out where in the world your ancestors came from? If so, congratulations! You may have helped create a new treatment of psoriasis. How is that even possible? Turns out a direct-to-consumer genetic testing company sold the rights to DNA samples to a major drug company to help […]
Read more »Crisis prices: Is it legal to profit off of a pandemic?
/On March 27, 2020, Ontario Premier Doug Ford issued a warning to COVID-19 profiteers: “We’re coming after you.” He cited high-end grocery retailer, Pusateri’s, which had charged customers $29.99 for containers of disinfecting wipes — a price premium that even Pusateri’s clientele noticed. (CTV notes that the average price for these wipes is $5.99.) Pusateri’s […]
Read more »Dark Patterns: How shopping sites exploit consumer vulnerabilities
If you have ever felt pressured to purchase something online that very second, it turns out that may not be your fault. A recent study out of Princeton University sheds light on “dark patterns”, or deceptive marketing practices that websites use to manipulate online shoppers – to complete a sale or spend more money.[efn_note]Arunesh Mathur, […]
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