Description

On a checkout page, it’s a familiar experience to be asked to opt in or out of marketing. But in every case I’ve seen so far, this choice is placed directly next to the box where I enter my email address. On this particular site, the “email me” control is checked by default, and located very far away from where I enter my email address. See the screenshot; the “email me” control is just below the order total. This spot is cleverly chosen: unfamiliar, and also easy to miss because it’s surrounded by things (total, OK button) that are both more important and graphically highlighted. This very nearly got me to agree to be spammed, without intending to. (Whether unchecking the box actually does anything is another question.)