BeReal faces GDPR complaint over alleged ‘dark patterns’ for tracking consent

A European privacy rights group, noyb, has filed a complaint against the social media app BeReal, raising concerns over how it gets users to agree to being tracked.

BeReal, a popular app among Gen Z known for its candid selfie-sharing, was recently acquired by French mobile games company Voodoo. According to noyb, the app employs what they call “dark patterns” to nudge users into consenting. Essentially, when people open the app, a pop-up appears asking them to say “yes” or “no” to letting their personal data be used for ads, but noyb claims the design of this prompt is manipulative.

Noyb claims that BeReal seems to be pushing users toward a specific choice. If you click “accept,” the consent banner disappears for good. But if you choose “reject,” you’re stuck seeing the banner every single day—until you finally cave and hit “accept.” This tactic of annoying people into giving consent is the latest example of what’s known as a “dark pattern.”