Malfeasant UI patterns: Google driven "site support" subscription popups

[azurelunatic]

For reasons that are unimportant at this juncture, I found myself clicking about the internet and came upon a site. I read the page (not particularly informative, honestly, and it was not a good site for a first result) and as I scrolled toward the bottom, a non-modal dialog box, in Google colors, very similar to the "hey, do you want to log in to this site using your Google account?" type, except mid-bottom instead of right-bottom, showed up.

Clicking the big blue button, I found, would have signed me up for a monthly subscription of a dollar to "support" that site.

I didn't investigate what would happen if I did click that big blue button, but the defaults looked as though it had by default all the information filled in that the form needed to set up a subscription, it just lacked my permission.

So, uh, if you're logged into the internet using Google, this is a thing that now exists.

Comments

[alexseanchai]

through Google Pay?

also, ugh

[azurelunatic]

Looks like it.

[trobadora]

What the fuck.

[siderea]

Yeah, I consider Google so pernicious that way that I use Firefox's containers feature to, uh, contain it. (Same as FB.) It's not really safe to browse the internet while logged in to Google.

[silveradept]

Hooray for scammers trying to capture the look of a thing. It sounds like the kind of scam that the Google IP lawyers will be very interested in.

[azurelunatic]

I'm pretty sure it's Google trying to one-up Patreon, but in a way that might get the same regulators interested who were also interested in people who thought they were giving a one-time donation who instead signed up for recurring payments.

[silveradept]

Ah, the people who have already sharpened their knives on the political versions. Hopefully they will provide some non-optional shoves towards making it much clearer what's going on.

[pauamma]

Interesting, thanks.

[jecook]

Query: I am assuming this is getting through script and ad blocker extensions?

[azurelunatic]

Through extensions and a nicely configured pi-hole blocker in front of the house router.

[jecook]

... well, fuck. that is some downright evil shit right there.

[swaldman]

Ouch. I've been getting annoyed enough in the last few weeks by the new(ish) "Log in with google!" popup that Every Single Bloody Website[1] now sports. But that is relatively benign compared to what you describe...