In a significant step towards curbing deceptive online practices, the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has issued an advisory directing all e-commerce platforms to undertake self-audits for detecting and eliminating “dark patterns” within three months.
These practices, which manipulate or mislead consumers into taking decisions not in their best interest, are now formally classified under “unfair trade practices” as per the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.
In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha, Union Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution highlighted the government’s multi-pronged strategy to ensure a fair and transparent digital marketplace.
Earlier, on 30 November 2023, the CCPA had issued the Guidelines for Prevention and Regulation of Dark Patterns, 2023, identifying 13 types of deceptive practices commonly found in the e-commerce sector.
These include false urgency, basket sneaking, confirm shaming, forced action, subscription traps, interface interference, bait and switch, drip pricing, disguised advertisements, nagging, trick wording, SaaS billing, and rogue malware.
In furtherance of this initiative, a high-level meeting chaired by the Hon’ble Minister of Consumer Affairs was convened on 28 May 2025 with participation from leading e-commerce players, industry bodies, voluntary consumer organisations, and legal academia.
The meeting focused on eliminating manipulative design choices and fostering a consumer-friendly digital experience.
Following this, on 5 June 2025, an official Advisory was issued, urging all platforms to proactively identify and eliminate dark patterns.
The platforms are also expected to submit self-declarations affirming their compliance, aiming to foster a more ethical e-commerce environment and build consumer trust.
To institutionalise the effort, a Joint Working Group has been set up via Office Memorandum dated 5 June 2025. This group comprises representatives from relevant ministries, National Law Universities, and consumer organisations and will work collaboratively to identify harmful dark patterns and frame regulatory responses.
The government’s firm stance reflects a growing recognition of the harm caused by manipulative digital design and reinforces its commitment to protecting consumer rights in the evolving online landscape.