A form arrives with one box already checked. You can change it, but leaving it alone takes less effort. That small difference is part of the decision’s design.
Ask what the default is doing
A default can reduce repetitive work when it reflects a reasonable, transparent starting point. It can also steer someone toward an outcome they would not actively choose. The ethical question includes the result, the explanation and the ease of selecting something else.
Consider a fictional event form that preselects a meal. If the choice is clearly visible and easily changed before booking, it may simplify a routine task. If the same form hides a paid add-on in a collapsed section, the convenience explanation becomes less convincing.
Try the refusal path
Read the alternative as if you genuinely wanted it. Does declining require extra screens, confusing wording or a telephone call while accepting takes one click? Does the interface imply that one option is compulsory when it is not?
Do not judge the design only by whether a determined expert can escape it. A choice presented to ordinary users should be understandable under ordinary conditions, including distraction, limited time and unfamiliar terminology.
If you design a form, write down why the default exists and who benefits from it. Test whether someone can explain the choice after reading the screen. An ethical justification should survive that plain-language account, not depend on users overlooking a detail.
If you are completing the form, pause at preselected choices that affect money, privacy or ongoing commitments. Read the relevant terms and change the option if appropriate. A default is a starting state chosen by someone else; noticing it gives you an opportunity to make the decision your own.