Every day, millions of people unknowingly sign up for subscriptions they never wanted. A pre-checked checkbox here, a "free trial" that auto-renews there, fine print designed to be invisible. These are not accidents. They are carefully engineered dark patterns built to extract money from people who are not paying close enough attention.

The subscription economy has exploded into a multi-trillion dollar industry. With that growth has come an epidemic of deceptive practices. Companies spend millions optimizing their checkout pages — not to make them clearer, but to make them more effective at converting visitors into unwitting subscribers.

Pre-checked boxes that add recurring charges. "Free trial" buttons in large text with "$49.99/month after 3 days" in 8px gray-on-gray font. Cancellation flows that require phone calls during narrow business hours. The techniques are sophisticated, tested, and ruthlessly effective.

The FTC has taken action against some of the worst offenders, but regulation moves slowly. The agency's "Click to Cancel" rule was a step forward, but enforcement remains reactive. By the time a company faces consequences, millions of consumers have already been charged.

Consumers need protection now — not after the next enforcement action, not after the next class action settlement. They need something that works in real time, at the exact moment they are about to be tricked.

That is why SubSnitch exists. It is a free Chrome extension that acts as your personal dark pattern detector. It scans checkout pages in real time, analyzing the page for known deceptive patterns, and shows you a clear, prominent warning before you click "Buy."