It’s clearly a dark pattern thought up by shitbags because users are more likely to create an account after they’ve typed something out vs. leaving when they find out an account is required to participate.
Even the shitbags over at Mozilla are doing it.
There’s an even worse variant of that.
At least that’s how the app devs imagine how that’s going to go. IRL though, you just kill the app immediately, leave a bad review about dark patterns, and delete the whole scamware from your phone. If the devs are feeling extra greedy, they’ll also ask for you to rate the app long before you’ve even had an opportunity to do anything with it.
Unfortunately, many people are naive and susceptible to the sunk-cost fallacy; that’s what they are banking on. They know a good portion will just kill the app but the few that bite will be milked for all they are worth.
There’s an app that I find useful. Many many years ago (on Android 2.3 or maybe Android 4?) I got a lifetime license for it.
Then a few years ago they updated the app and introduced a subscription. I don’t care, because the features that I use are still accessible in the grandfathered lifetime license. BUT after every update without a subscription you now need to complete the whole “let’s personalize this app for you” thing. Afterwards it just dumps you onto a screen to select the subscription you want to pay for. You need to dismiss that screen in order to use the free features OR login and restore your old license to unlock most of the features.
They intentionally put a white X to dismiss that screen in the top left, but also put a very bright image there directly under it, so that it’s barely recognizable.
Oof… that’s just diabolical. If I say that I hate that, it’s still going to feel like an understatement.