Centre directs e-commerce platforms to audit, eliminate ‘dark patterns’
New Delhi: The Ministry of Consumer Affairs has issued a fresh advisory directing all e-commerce platforms to conduct internal audits and eliminate “dark patterns”—design practices that mislead or manipulate consumers into unintended actions.
According to the advisory issued on Saturday, the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has mandated that platforms carry out these audits within three months to identify and remove unfair interface features that compromise consumer autonomy.
“All e-commerce platforms have been advised to conduct self-audits to identify dark patterns, within 3 months of the issue of the advisory, and take necessary steps to ensure that their platforms are free from such dark patterns,” the ministry stated.
Companies have also been encouraged to submit self-declarations affirming that their websites are free of such deceptive design features. These declarations are aimed at enhancing consumer trust in the digital marketplace.
The CCPA disclosed that it has already served notices to certain platforms for violating dark pattern norms, though it did not disclose names.
Dark patterns encompass manipulative techniques like hidden costs at checkout, urgency cues, confirm shaming, misleading ads, and subscription traps—practices deemed exploitative and contrary to fair consumer conduct.
To ensure effective implementation, the Centre has constituted a Joint Working Group comprising officials from key ministries, regulatory bodies, consumer rights organisations, and national law universities. This group will monitor compliance, suggest enforcement measures, and plan awareness initiatives.
The advisory builds on the government’s 2023 guidelines that formally recognised 13 types of dark patterns, including basket sneaking, forced actions, bait-and-switch tactics, and drip pricing.
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Man arrested with Rs 2.54-crore heroin in Mumbai
Mumbai (PTI): Police have arrested a man and seized over 500 grams of heroin worth Rs 2.54 crore in the illicit market from him in Mumbai, officials said on Friday.
The police's Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) made the drug seizure in Santacruz in the western suburbs. The operation was conducted by the Kandivali unit of the ANC on Thursday as part of a special crackdown against drug trafficking in the area, they said.
Acting on specific inputs, an ANC team conducted a raid in Santacruz (East) and intercepted a man. During a search, the team recovered 508 grams of high-grade heroin from his possession, an official said.
The seized contraband, a highly addictive, opioid drug derived from morphine, is estimated to be worth Rs 2.54 crore in the international market, he informed.
Following the seizure, a case was registered against the man under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, and he was formally placed under arrest in the early hours of Friday.
The police are currently investigating the source of the drug and trying to identify the intended recipients of the consignment, he said.
