Now Reading: CCPA penalises platforms over deceptive online interface practices
-
01
CCPA penalises platforms over deceptive online interface practices
The Central Consumer Protection Authority has acted against digital platforms for using “dark patterns”, the government told the Rajya Sabha. These designs can steer consumers through practices such as hidden charges, false…
The Story in Brief
The Central Consumer Protection Authority has acted against digital platforms for using “dark patterns”, the government told the Rajya Sabha. These designs can steer consumers through practices such as hidden charges, false urgency, subscription traps and pre-selected additions. The Prevention and Regulation of Dark Patterns Guidelines, 2023, cover 13 such practices. The CCPA issued a self-audit advisory to e-commerce platforms in June 2025. The government said about ₹20 lakh in penalties has been collected since then.
Hindustan Times reported action against nine platforms. Zepto was fined ₹7 lakh and Physics Wallah ₹5 lakh. Anuj Jindal, FirstCry, PharmaEasy, McAfee and SpiceJet also faced fines. BookMyShow removed a pre-ticked contribution, while IndiGo changed an opt-out message. NDTV Profit described the action as involving eight platforms, a difference not explained in the reports.
The Indian Opinion
The action shows why consumers need clear prices and genuine choices online. However, the available reports provide limited detail on the scale of consumer harm, the evidence in each case and whether penalties are proportionate. Company names alone should not suggest that the whole digital sector behaves similarly. Claims presenting the crackdown as either a complete solution or proof of widespread fraud would be premature until compliance and repeat violations are reported.
Sources (3): hindustantimes.com, hindustantimes.com (2), ndtvprofit.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 3 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 3 sources.
