65%
of consent banners use dark patterns
An academic audit of the top EU websites found that around 65% of cookie consent flows use at least one dark pattern, most often visually demoting the 'Reject' button.
Context
Common patterns include hiding the reject option behind extra clicks, pre-ticking non-essential boxes and using contrast/color to nudge users toward 'Accept all'.
Key takeaways
- Most banners are not neutral; the UI is engineered for consent.
- Auto-rejecting consent banners restores symmetry that the UI tried to remove.
Sources
Cite this statistic
NovaBlock (2026). "65% — of consent banners use dark patterns." Retrieved from https://novablock.app/statistics/dark-pattern-consent