Obstruction

Obstruction is a deceptive pattern where companies make it hard for users to make choices that don’t benefit the company. This is done by increasing the effort needed to find important information or perform specific actions. A common obstruction tactic is hiding exit options. Also known as the roach motel pattern, this tactic makes it very difficult to cancel a service. For example, an automated monthly subscription might require users to jump through multiple hoops to cancel, such as navigating through numerous menus or calling customer service.