Now Reading: CCPA fines Ola Rs 10 lakh over pre-ride tip feature
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CCPA fines Ola Rs 10 lakh over pre-ride tip feature
The Story in Brief
The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has imposed a Rs 10 lakh penalty on ANI Technologies Pvt Ltd, which operates ride-hailing platform Ola, for soliciting additional payments from customers before completing their trips. The regulator found that the pre-ride tip or add-on feature deceived consumers through dark patterns, violating fair trade practices. The order, passed by Chief Commissioner Nidhi Khare and Commissioner Anupam Mishra, directed Ola to discontinue the practice immediately.
The CCPA noted that Ola's interface suggested passengers could improve their chances of securing rides faster by paying extra, but the company's own booking data contradicted this, showing lower acceptance rates for requests with additional payments. The authority held that withholding this information constituted concealment of material facts under Section 2(28)(iv) of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, and that the practice violated Clause 14.15 of the Motor Vehicles Aggregators Guidelines, 2025, which permits tipping only after a journey. Consumer Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi confirmed the action, calling it a firm step against dark patterns and unfair practices.
The CCPA has also taken suo motu action against other cab aggregator platforms, having earlier imposed a Rs 10 lakh penalty on Rapido. Proceedings against Uber and Namma Yatri are currently under investigation.
Indian Opinion Analysis
ThePrint carried a brief PTI wire report noting the penalty and the regulator's action, with no additional comment or ministerial confirmation. Business Today added Consumer Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi's statement endorsing the penalty as a firm step against dark patterns, along with detailed regulatory reasoning including the data contradiction, the specific legal sections violated, and the confirm shaming classification. Both outlets reported the same core penalty and facts, but Business Today's fuller account frames the action as a government win for consumer rights, while ThePrint stayed with the neutral agency version. The uniform factual basis suggests the CCPA order is clear, the difference lies only in how much government endorsement each outlet chose to foreground.
Read next: The CCPA's proceedings against Uber and Namma Yatri remain under investigation.
Coverage: 2 sources, 1 pro-government, 1 neutral
Sources (2): theprint.in (neutral report), businesstoday.in (pro government)
This brief was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above, so one read covers every framing they carry. Methodology and corrections.
