Online shopping in India might become safer for you soon
What's the story
India's Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has asked all e-commerce platforms to perform self-audits within three months.
The move is aimed at identifying and eliminating "dark patterns," which are deceptive design practices that are meant to mislead consumers into unintended actions.
The Consumer Affairs Ministry said these platforms should examine their interfaces for practices undermining consumer choice or constituting unfair trade practices.
Declaration
Some platforms found violating guidelines
The CCPA has encouraged platforms to offer self-declarations confirming their sites are free from deceptive practices.
The authority said these declarations will help build consumer trust and create a fairer digital marketplace.
To note, some e-commerce platforms have been found violating the guidelines for preventing dark patterns, resulting in notices issued by the CCPA.
Deceptive practices
What are dark patterns?
Dark patterns include tactics like false urgency alerts, subscription traps, hidden costs at checkout, and disguised ads that manipulate consumer decision-making.
The Indian government has formed a Joint Working Group (JWG) with representatives from various ministries, regulators, consumer organizations, as well as national law universities to monitor violations and suggest awareness programs.
This is part of the Centre's strategy to strengthen consumer protection in the digital economy, amid rapid growth of online commerce across India.
List
Types of dark pattern identified
In 2023, the government issued guidelines to prevent dark patterns, identifying 13 specific practices. These include basket sneaking, interface interference, confirm shaming, forced actions, bait and switch tactics, drip pricing, and subscription billing traps.