Is Dark Pattern design right or wrong (for business)?

Dark pattern design is deception and dishonesty by design. The technique feeds off and exploits the fact that consumers skim-read stuff they're presented with. This works because humans are lazy in the face of boring and/or complex looking stuff. Most people will take the path of least resistance. Especially if it's being reassuringly plated up for them in handy, push-button form.

Dark patterns used to obtain consent to collect users' personal data often combine unwelcome interruption with a built in escape route. The opt out — if there is one — will be near invisible; Greyscale text on a grey background is the usual choice. Some deceptive designs even include a call to action displayed on the colorful button they do want you to press — with text that says something like 'Okay, looks great!' — to further push a decision. It's 'consent' by the spotlit backdoor. The trick is to encourage users not to read or contemplate a service's terms and conditions, and therefore not to understand what they're agreeing to.

I also read a related blog titled Your App Makes Me Path by Serious Pony. It is said that a dark pattern on a website based on an experiment adds stress to a person. We know this is wrong for the user, but there are alternative ways to reduce this stress