Review of Online Choice Architecture and Vulnerability

Review of Online Choice Architecture and Vulnerability Report July 2024 3.47 MB

Most of us have been harmed in some way by how choices are structured and presented online: for example, if you’ve signed up for a free trial and

forgotten to unsubscribe before it ended, meaning you paid for a service you didn’t want. Some consumers, however, find themselves in circumstances where they end up being disproportionately harmed compared to others.

This report explores how the way in which online platforms are designed to influence our decisions, known as online choice architecture (OCA), disproportionately impacts outcomes for consumers in vulnerable circumstances. The report, commissioned by Citizens Advice and written by the Behavioural Insights Team (BIT), looks at both the theoretical and empirical basis for understanding the impact of OCA on consumers in vulnerable circumstances. The project aims to both motivate government and regulators to look at OCA and vulnerability together, rather than in isolation, and to build the foundation for evidence-based practice in the area of OCA and vulnerability.