Now Reading: CCPA fines digital platforms Rs 20 lakh over dark patterns
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CCPA fines digital platforms Rs 20 lakh over dark patterns
The Central Consumer Protection Authority has collected about Rs 20 lakh in penalties from digital platforms accused of using deceptive online designs, the government told the Rajya Sabha. The Times of India…
The Story in Brief
The Central Consumer Protection Authority has collected about Rs 20 lakh in penalties from digital platforms accused of using deceptive online designs, the government told the Rajya Sabha. The Times of India reports that seven firms were fined, including Zepto, PhysicsWallah, FirstCry, PharmEasy, McAfee, SpiceJet and Anuj Jindal. Zepto received the largest penalty, Rs 7 lakh, while PhysicsWallah was fined Rs 5 lakh.
Times Now reports that nine platforms were penalised, also naming IndiGo, and lists practices covered by the 2023 rules, such as drip pricing, basket sneaking and subscription traps. The government said IndiGo and BookMyShow also changed disputed interfaces, but the Times of India reports no penalty was mentioned for either.
The Indian Opinion
The lazy version is that every extra click proves a company set out to cheat customers. The opposite claim, that interface design is merely harmless marketing, is just as weak when fees appear at checkout or donations are pre-selected. The useful test is simple: can a customer see the full price, reject add-ons and understand consent before paying? Future orders and regulator findings should show whether these changes last beyond the penalties.
Sources (2): timesnownews.com, timesofindia.indiatimes.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
