[wp-meta] [Making WordPress.org] #7716: Need clear definition of Explicit Consent for Plugin Guidelines

[Making WordPress.org]

#7716: Need clear definition of Explicit Consent for Plugin Guidelines
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 Reporter:  drubonil     |       Owner:  (none)
     Type:  enhancement  |      Status:  reopened
 Priority:  high         |   Milestone:
Component:  Handbooks    |  Resolution:
 Keywords:               |
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Changes (by Cybr):

 * status:  closed => reopened
 * resolution:  invalid =>


Comment:

 > you need to report the plugin to the proper people, which is plugins@….

 But the post is about updating the rules. Hence, I'm reopening.

 > I agree with your understanding that the check box being pre-checked is
 a "dark pattern",

 Great, so that covers guidelines 9.

 > My suggestion would be to read the the form before you say yes to it.

 But most people don't read because: they think they already read it (but
 the text changed), can't comprehend due to a language barrier, can't
 comprehend due to a learning issue, can't comprehend because they had a
 brain tumor, or cannot read at all due to other accessibility issues. This
 list can go on indefinitely, and most of that wouldn't be about ignorance.

 There are also well-studied phenomena like 'consent fatigue' and 'banner
 blindness', which many people suffer from in the face of a large volume of
 consent requests which they might accept despite not having the time or
 resources to assess them properly. This is also why different-colored
 buttons for consent and many other [https://www.edpb.europa.eu/our-work-
 tools/documents/public-consultations/2022/guidelines-32022-dark-patterns-
 social-media_en dark patterns are being banned in Europe]
 ([https://calawyers.org/privacy-law/european-data-protection-board-
 publishes-guidelines-on-dark-patterns-in-social-media-platforms/
 summary]). Yet, Awesome Motive (EDD, AIOSEO, Thrive, WP Mail SMPT, etc.)
 is exploiting all of this human behavior; it's about an anti-consumer law,
 and they armed it to cause harm to many WordPress plugin developers and
 their users.

 The Plugins Team should protect all these people. Expecting everyone to be
 on your level would be psychopathic.

 > I am not in Europe. Presumably neither are the plugin authors.

 No, but I am. A great deal of other plugin authors are. A vast portion of
 the WordPress Community is. And
 [https://trends.builtwith.com/cms/WordPress many more Europeans use
 WordPress than Americans do].

 Non-decisive actions like these ruin the plugin ecosystem. I've already
 been screwed over by half a dozen violations of Rank Math not getting
 dealt with; don't let other developers suffer as well.

-- 
Ticket URL: <https://meta.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/7716#comment:6>
Making WordPress.org <https://meta.trac.wordpress.org/>
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