Dark patterns aren't fundamentally new, they've just recently taken on a new form in software. An example of an old dark pattern was that a company would simply mail people unsolicited merchandise, and then bill them an inflated price for it if it wasn't returned. In that case, the (US) law was changed to specify that any such unsolicited shipment is presumed to be a gift and the sender is not entitled to payment for it.
The FTC has been dealing with this kind of crap for over a century. The key is that this is in the context of advertising and trade practices, not viewpoint or artistic style. You'll still be able to include fictional dark patterns in your post-cyberpunk visual novel if you want to.
The FTC has been dealing with this kind of crap for over a century. The key is that this is in the context of advertising and trade practices, not viewpoint or artistic style. You'll still be able to include fictional dark patterns in your post-cyberpunk visual novel if you want to.