ClearPath Audits

Our Services

Comprehensive audits across two critical dimensions of ethical web design — covering every deceptive pattern and accessibility barrier we know how to find.

Dark Pattern Audit

Dark patterns are deliberate design choices that manipulate users against their own interests. Many violate FTC regulations, state consumer protection laws, and privacy statutes. We identify and classify every instance on your site.

Roach Motel / Forced Continuity

Critical

Easy to sign up, nearly impossible to cancel. Hiding cancellation behind multiple screens, requiring phone calls, or burying the option entirely.

Laws: FTC Act § 5 · ROSCA (15 U.S.C. § 8403) · California AB 390

Drip Pricing / Hidden Costs

High

Advertising a low price then adding fees, taxes, or charges late in the checkout process that substantially increase the final amount.

Laws: FTC Act § 5 · California Consumer Legal Remedies Act · State UDAP statutes

Confirmshaming

Medium

Framing the opt-out as an emotionally charged negative statement (e.g., "No thanks, I hate saving money") to pressure users into compliance.

Laws: FTC Act § 5 (deceptive practices) · CCPA/CPRA (manipulation in consent)

Privacy Zuckering

Critical

Dark patterns in consent interfaces — pre-checked consent boxes, confusing toggle logic, making rejection harder than acceptance.

Laws: CCPA/CPRA § 1798.185 · COPPA 16 C.F.R. § 312 · Colorado Privacy Act

Misleading Urgency / Scarcity

High

Fake countdown timers, false "only 2 left" stock indicators, or artificial social proof numbers to pressure immediate purchase.

Laws: FTC Act § 5 · FTC Endorsement Guides · California UCL § 17200

Trick Questions & Pre-checked Boxes

High

Double-negative opt-outs, ambiguous checkbox wording, or pre-checked marketing consent during signup.

Laws: CAN-SPAM Act · CCPA/CPRA · FTC Act § 5

Disguised Ads

Medium

Native ads styled to look like editorial content, sponsored results without clear labeling, or affiliate links presented as unbiased recommendations.

Laws: FTC Native Advertising Guides (2015) · FTC Act § 5 · FTC Endorsement Guides

Bait-and-Switch

High

Advertising one product or price then substituting an inferior or more expensive option during checkout.

Laws: FTC Act § 5 · FTC Guides Against Bait Advertising · State UDAP laws

Accessibility Audit

Web accessibility is a civil rights issue. The ADA requires businesses open to the public — including websites — to be accessible to people with disabilities. We audit against WCAG 2.2 AA, the standard cited in federal guidance, plus applicable state laws.

Missing Alternative Text

WCAG 1.1.1 (Level A)

Images, icons, and non-text elements lack descriptive alt attributes, making them invisible to screen reader users.

User impact: Blind users cannot perceive informational content

Laws: ADA Title III · Section 508 · Unruh Civil Rights Act

Insufficient Color Contrast

WCAG 1.4.3 (Level AA)

Text or UI elements do not meet the 4.5:1 contrast ratio requirement, creating barriers for low-vision and colorblind users.

User impact: Low-vision users cannot read content

Laws: ADA Title III · WCAG 2.2 AA mandate · Section 508

Keyboard Inaccessibility

WCAG 2.1.1 (Level A)

Interactive elements — menus, modals, forms — cannot be reached or operated using keyboard alone. Affects millions of motor-impaired users.

User impact: Motor-impaired users cannot navigate or interact

Laws: ADA Title III · Section 508 § 1194.21 · CVAA

Missing Form Labels

WCAG 1.3.1, 4.1.2 (Level A)

Form inputs lack programmatically associated labels, causing screen readers to announce fields without context.

User impact: Blind users cannot complete forms

Laws: ADA Title III · Section 508 · California AB 434

No Captions on Video

WCAG 1.2.2 (Level A)

Pre-recorded video content lacks accurate closed captions, excluding Deaf and hard-of-hearing users.

User impact: Deaf and hard-of-hearing users cannot access audio content

Laws: ADA Title III · CVAA (47 U.S.C. § 303) · Section 508

Missing Skip Navigation

WCAG 2.4.1 (Level A)

Pages lack a "skip to main content" mechanism, forcing keyboard users to tab through the entire header and nav on every page.

User impact: Keyboard and switch-control users face extreme friction

Laws: ADA Title III · Section 508

Poor Focus Indicators

WCAG 2.4.7 (Level AA)

Focus outlines are suppressed via CSS (outline: none), making keyboard navigation position invisible.

User impact: All keyboard users lose visual position tracking

Laws: ADA Title III · WCAG 2.2 AA · Section 508

Missing ARIA Roles / Landmarks

WCAG 4.1.2 (Level A)

Pages lack proper landmark roles (main, nav, header, footer) and interactive widgets lack appropriate ARIA markup.

User impact: Screen reader users cannot orient within pages

Laws: ADA Title III · Section 508

Consulting & Remediation

Finding issues is only half the job. Our consulting services help your team understand, prioritize, and fix compliance gaps — with guidance tailored to your tech stack and organization.

Remediation Roadmap

A prioritized, sprint-ready list of fixes ranked by legal risk, user impact, and implementation effort.

  • Issue prioritization matrix
  • Developer-ready specs
  • Estimated effort estimates

Legal Liaison Support

We work alongside your legal team to contextualize findings and help draft compliance documentation.

  • Expert witness support
  • Settlement documentation
  • Compliance attestations

Training & Education

Workshops for product, design, and engineering teams so compliance is built in from the start.

  • Design team workshops
  • Developer training
  • VPAT/ACR preparation

Ready to find out where you stand?

Submit your site for a professional audit and receive a rated compliance report with actionable law citations.

Request an Audit