Authors - Mugdha Kulkarni, Diya Oswal, Rudra Kadam, Sachin Pande, Gargi Meshram Abstract - The swift growth of digital interfaces has facilitated manipulative design practices called dark patterns, which take advantage of cognitive biases to manipulate users and subvert informed decision-making. Though widespread across e-commerce, social media, and other areas, automated identification and empirical knowledge of user vulnerability are still in their infancy. This work introduces an end-to-end framework integrating a GenAI-augmented browser add-on for real-time detection of dark patterns with systematic estimation of user awareness and behavioural reactions. A new Pattern Vulnerability Index (PVI) measures the threat from individual patterns according to frequency, unawareness among users, and potential damage. Cross-platform analysis identified high-risk patterns like Discount Anchoring, Urgency, and cost-related manipulations to be frequently overlooked by users. Clustering identifies scenarios in which several deceptive patterns occur in co-presence, including checkout processes, promotional displays, and subscription pitfalls. The results highlight the moral significance of manipulative interface design and establish the capability of machine-based tools to promote user safeguard, sensitize, and guide regulation and design efforts. This study provides a basis for consumer-oriented solutions and future research towards more transparent and ethical online encounters.
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