Harry Brignull on deceptive user interfaces (aka “dark patterns”):

Removing dark patterns from any site involves a leap of faith. A company has to shift from a short-term quantitative measurement mindset to one that values relatively slow, steady growth of “warm fuzzy” qualitative things like brand image, credibility, and trust. This kind of cultural shift is hard to do, which partially explains the reason why dark patterns tend to stick around once deployed.

Businesses that are relying on deceptive interfaces to achieve higher short-term conversion rates have their days numbered; good design serves users first and foremost, conversion rates take care of themselves.