The Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs said 26 leading e-commerce and quick commerce platforms, including Flipkart, Meesho, Reliance Digital, JioMart, Zomato, Blinkit and Ajio, have submitted voluntary self-declarations stating that their platforms comply with India’s anti-dark patterns regulations.
The companies told the government they had carried out internal or third-party audits and claimed their platforms were free of manipulative or deceptive user interface practices, describing the move as aligned with the Guidelines for Prevention and Regulation of Dark Patterns, 2023.
What are dark patterns?
How many times has it happened to you that you are ordering food from an app, and while checking out, you notice a subscription automatically added to your cart? Well, that’s an example of dark patterns. These are intentionally designed practices done to manipulate customers into taking actions they did not sign up for. These are deliberately engineered to exploit the consumer psychology. The government defines them as deceptive design practices that impair consumer choice and amount to misleading advertisements or unfair trade practices.
What the guidelines prohibit
As per the 2023 guidelines, there are 13 types of dark patterns, which include false urgency, basket sneaking, confirm sharing, subscription traps, bait-and-switch tactics, forced action, and disguised advertisements. In such practices, the platforms typically pressure users into rushed decisions, hide key information or make cancellation of services difficult.
According to the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA), self-declarations are an important step in strengthening consumer trust and also protecting users from manipulative designs. It has urged other platforms to follow suit, warning that such practices harm both consumers and businesses in the long run.
The CCPA has also said it is closely monitoring violations and will take enforcement action where necessary. Consumers are being encouraged to report dark pattern complaints through the National Consumer Helpline, alongside awareness campaigns and outreach programmes.
Why it matters
Dark patterns have been linked to forcing unintended purchases, extracting personal data without genuine consent and causing consumers to spend more than planned. The government has positioned this compliance drive as part of its effort to ensure transparency, ethical digital practices and fair consumer interactions across India’s growing e-commerce ecosystem.
