Govt says CCPA imposes Rs 20 lakh for dark patterns, steps up action against deceptive online practices
New Delhi, August 6
The Central Consumer Protection Authority has imposed penalties totalling Rs 20 lakh on e-commerce and digital platforms found engaging in deceptive online practices, or "dark patterns", while the government has strengthened the regulatory framework to protect consumers from unfair trade practices in the digital marketplace.
In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution B.L. Verma said the Department of Consumer Affairs has strengthened consumer protection through the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, and the Consumer Protection (E-commerce) Rules, 2020.
The minister said the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) had also issued the "Guidelines for Prevention and Regulation of Dark Patterns, 2023" on November 30, 2023, to regulate deceptive practices on digital platforms.
According to the written reply, "These guidelines address and regulate 13 specific dark patterns identified in the e-commerce sector, aiming to prevent deceptive practices that mislead consumers." The government said the prohibited practices include false urgency, basket sneaking, confirm shaming, forced action, subscription trap, drip pricing, disguised advertisements and trick questions, among others.
The minister further informed Parliament that the CCPA issued an advisory on June 5, 2025, asking e-commerce platforms to undertake self-audits to detect dark patterns and promote a fair, ethical and consumer-centric digital ecosystem.
The written reply stated, "Subsequent to the Guidelines for the Prevention Dark Pattern 2023, CCPA has taken action against E-commerce platforms engaging in dark patterns and imposed a penalty to the tune of Rs. 20 Lakh."
The reply listed enforcement actions against several companies across sectors. These included penalties against coaching platform Anuj Jindal for creating false urgency, FirstCry for alleged drip pricing, PharmaEasy for automatically adding membership plans to consumers' carts, Zepto for drip pricing and basket sneaking, McAfee for interface designs that restricted consumer choice, and Physics Wallah for pre-selected donations and other deceptive practices. It also detailed interventions involving IndiGo, BookMyShow and SpiceJet, among others, resulting in corrective measures and discontinuation of the identified dark patterns.
The government also highlighted that consumers can seek redress through the three-tier Consumer Commissions established under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, while complaints can also be lodged at the pre-litigation stage through the National Consumer Helpline (NCH) and the INGRAM portal.
The minister said, "The National Consumer Helpline (NCH) administered by the Department of Consumer Affairs has emerged as a single point of access to consumers across the country for their grievance redressal at a pre-litigation stage."
— ANI
Reader Comments
My elderly parents almost got scammed by 'confirm shaming' on a travel site—it made them feel guilty for not buying insurance at checkout! These dark patterns are incredibly manipulative, especially for senior citizens who aren't tech-savvy. I'm glad the CCPA is taking this seriously with guidelines and self-audit requirements. Awareness is key, we need more media coverage on this.
Interesting move by the Indian government. It's good to see consumer protection evolve with the digital economy. However, I wonder how effective the enforcement will be in the long run. Penalties are one thing, but product design teams at these big tech firms often work around regulations creatively. Also, consumers still need proper digital literacy to spot these patterns themselves.
The most annoying one is when apps auto-subscribe you to a membership with a tiny "opt-out" box. Health apps like PharmaEasy got caught—finally! But what's the point of a fine if companies pass that cost onto consumers through higher prices? I'd rather have stricter oversight and easier complaint processes through the INGRAM portal. Hope folks actually use it.
Honestly, 13 identified dark patterns and only Rs 20 lakh in total fines? It's peanuts compared to what these companies earn. That said, I appreciate the government's efforts in creating a framework. My hope is that with the advisory for self-audits, companies will clean up their act voluntarily. Let's see if they take it seriously or just treat this as a minor compliance exercise.
The 'drip pricing' tactic is so sneaky—
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.