Centre urges online platforms to refrain from ‘dark patterns’
Secretary in the Department of Consumer Affairs advised online platforms to not engage in ‘unfair trade practices’ to manipulate consumer choice and violate ‘consumer rights’.
The Department of Consumer Affairs has launched a portal-Grievance Against Misleading Advertisements (GAMA), to enable consumers to register their grievances against misleading advertisements. 3302 complaints have been received in 2017, 4025 complaints in 2018 and 4416 complaints in 2019.
The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI), a voluntary self-regulatory organization, looks into complaints across all media. The Consumer Protection Act, 2019 provides for the establishment of a Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) to regulate matters relating to the violation of rights of consumers, unfair trade practices and false or misleading advertisements which are prejudicial to the interests of public and consumers and to promote, protect and enforce the rights of consumers as a class.
One of the functions of the CCPA is to issue necessary guidelines to prevent unfair trade practices and protect consumers’ interest.
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This information was given in a written reply by Union Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Danve Rao saheb Dadarao in Lok Sabha on Tuesday.
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