Home / Technology / USPS Move Site Uses Deceptive Tactics
USPS Move Site Uses Deceptive Tactics
26 Mar
Summary
- MyMove holds exclusive USPS contract for change of address.
- Users report deceptive design practices, dark patterns on site.
- MyMove settled $2.75 million for defrauding USPS in 2023.
For over three decades, MyMove has exclusively managed the USPS change-of-address and voter registration service, operating without direct government funding. This public-private partnership, initially praised as innovative, has evolved into a system criticized for employing deceptive design techniques, often called 'dark patterns.' These tactics reportedly manipulate users into unwanted actions and agreements.
Users describe being redirected to websites filled with unskippable advertisements after attempting to update voter registration. In 2023, MyMove and its parent company, Red Ventures, paid $2.75 million to settle claims of defrauding the USPS, though liability was not determined. Despite user complaints labeling the service a 'middle-man scam' and 'predatory,' the problematic design elements have remained for years.
