Now Reading: New e-commerce rules from Jan 2027 target discounts and dark patterns
-
01
New e-commerce rules from Jan 2027 target discounts and dark patterns
The Centre has notified the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) (Amendment) Rules, 2026, which will take effect from 1 January 2027. Platforms must display the lowest price of the preceding 30 days when announcing…
The Centre has notified the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) (Amendment) Rules, 2026, which will take effect from 1 January 2027. Platforms must display the lowest price of the preceding 30 days when announcing a discount, clearly identify sponsored listings, and avoid manipulating search results in ways that mislead users or reduce relevance.
Marketplace platforms must disclose seller and product details, including return terms, warranties and country of origin for imports, and participate in the National Consumer Helpline's convergence process. They must also comply with the 2023 dark-pattern guidelines, conduct an annual self-audit, and display a compliance certificate prominently. The rules aim to make behind-the-scenes influences on pricing, rankings and advertising more visible to consumers.
Minister of State for Consumer Affairs B.L. Verma cited action against multiple platforms, including a Rs 7 lakh fine on Zepto for hidden handling charges and an unauthorised membership addition. With online shoppers expected to grow from about 300 million to over 420 million by 2030, enforcement of the new rules will be critical to consumer protection.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The 30-day price history rule addresses a gap left by the 2020 rules, which did not define a reference price for discounts. A similar provision in the EU's Omnibus Directive, effective from 2022, has already forced retailers there to show the lowest price in the previous 30 days. India's dark-pattern guidelines of 2023 list 13 prohibited practices, but the CCPA had to act case by case. Making compliance a direct rule with mandatory annual audits shifts the burden onto platforms to prove compliance rather than leaving it to regulators to detect violations. The real test will be how the CCPA polices search ranking algorithms, which are proprietary. The next signal to watch is whether the government publishes model audit templates before the January 2027 deadline.
Source: livemint.com
This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
