Emotional Indicators of Compromise (EIOC): A Taxonomy for Detecting Emotional Manipulation in Digital Interfaces

This paper introduces Emotional Indicators of Compromise (EIOC), a detection taxonomy for identifying emotional manipulation patterns in digital user interfaces. Drawing on the cybersecurity concept of Indicators of Compromise (IOC)—observable artifacts that signal system breach—EIOC extends this framework to the human layer, treating emotional manipulation as a form of user compromise. The taxonomy identifies fifteen distinct indicator types across four categories: Autonomy Distortion, Deceptive Nudging, Vulnerability Exploitation, and Choice Architecture Manipulation. Each indicator is mapped to emerging regulatory frameworks including the EU Digital Services Act (DSA), California's Dark Patterns legislation (DFA), FTC Section 5 enforcement priorities, and GDPR consent requirements. The framework provides a structured methodology for compliance auditing, enabling organizations to detect, document, and remediate manipulative design patterns before regulatory enforcement. EIOC represents a shift from reactive compliance to proactive emotional integrity governance.