A new study reveals that some of the largest tech companies, including major AI vendors and dating apps, are using deceptive methods to keep consumers from opting out of data sharing. Researchers found at least eight categories of manipulative design, such as buried links, multiple forms, and requirements for account creation or subscription payments. This makes it incredibly difficult for users to actually opt out.

The report highlights the failure of some major companies, like Google, Meta, and OpenAI, in clearly linking their opt-out forms from homepages or privacy policies. For instance, OpenAI’s form does not offer a way to opt out of data sale; instead, it allows users to remove information from chatbot responses, which is inadequate for most consumers.

The findings extend to people-search data brokers like Spokeo and Whitepages, where the opt-out process is non-existent or extremely cumbersome. These companies often require URLs to be submitted one by one, with no commitment to stop selling the same person's information in the future. This raises serious concerns about consumer safety and privacy.

Even social media giants like Meta, X, OpenAI, and Tinder do not make their opt-out processes easily accessible without logging in first. Meanwhile, companies such as Palantir fail to include an option to opt out of data sale or sharing on their websites at all. The lack of clarity and accessibility is a significant issue that needs addressing.

While some companies like Amazon argue that they do not sell customer information anyway, the ease of opting out remains a concern. The report suggests regulators should step in to ensure companies design opt-out processes with respect for consumers' rights, as manipulative design has no place in such requests.