Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Pralhad Joshi, has issued a stern warning to all major e-commerce platforms: comply with government guidelines to eliminate ‘dark patterns’ or face legal consequences.
In a high-level meeting held on 28th May’25, Joshi emphasized the need for fairness, transparency, and accountability in digital marketplaces. He instructed e-commerce companies to conduct internal audits to detect and eliminate deceptive design practices – known as ‘dark patterns’ – that mislead or manipulate consumers into making unintended choices.
“These manipulative practices threaten consumer autonomy. We have asked for full compliance with the guidelines on dark patterns,” Joshi said, addressing the media after the stakeholder consultation. “Consumer interest is paramount.”
The government has identified 13 types of dark patterns, including:
· False Urgency
· Basket Sneaking
· Confirm Shaming
· Forced Action
· Subscription Traps
· Interface Interference
· Bait and Switch
· Drip Pricing
· Disguised Advertisements
· Nagging
· Trick Questions
· SaaS Billing
· Rogue Malware
Joshi confirmed that a joint working group will soon be established to ensure the enforcement of these guidelines and curb the growing use of such unfair trade practices across sectors.
Mandatory Internal Audits
E-commerce platforms must submit audit reports to the Department of Consumer Affairs, detailing the presence (or absence) of dark patterns on their platforms. The move is part of a larger push to safeguard consumer rights in an increasingly digital economy.
The guidelines, officially titled the Prevention and Regulation of Dark Patterns Guidelines, 2023, were issued by the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019. They define dark patterns as deceptive interface designs that impair consumer choice and manipulate users into actions they would not have otherwise taken.
Major Industry Stakeholders Present
More than 50 major e-commerce and digital service platforms attended the meeting, including Amazon, Flipkart, Apple, BigBasket, 1mg.com, Swiggy, Zomato, Paytm, MakeMyTrip, Meta, Ola, Uber, Reliance Retail, Tata, WhatsApp, and IndiGo Airlines.
Other key participants included representatives from IndiaMart, EaseMyTrip, ixigo, ONDC, Netmeds, ClearTrip, and Thomas Cook. The meeting also saw participation from Voluntary Consumer Organizations (VCOs) and National Law Universities (NLUs).
Enforcement Already Underway
Consumer Affairs Secretary Nidhi Khare informed that the CCPA has already issued 11 formal notices related to dark patterns and over 400 notices for various unfair trade practices. She added that the government will also investigate dark pattern usage by quick-commerce platforms, which have seen rapid growth.
Regarding the issue of advance tipping by ride-hailing platforms, Joshi confirmed that notices have been sent to operators such as Ola and Uber.
“The government will act against any sector found guilty of misleading consumers,” said Khare, reinforcing the ministry’s zero-tolerance approach toward deceptive digital practices.
The latest action signals the government’s commitment to protecting digital consumers as online transactions and app-based services become central to everyday life.