The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has taken enforcement action against nine digital platforms, including Zepto, BookMyShow, IndiGo, FirstCry, Physics Wallah, SpiceJet, PharmEasy, McAfee and coaching platform Anuj Jindal, for deploying “dark patterns” deceptive user interface designs that manipulate consumers into making choices they may not have intended. The government disclosed the action in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha, stating that the regulator has collected nearly Rs 20 lakh in penalties from the companies.
The action forms part of the Centre’s efforts to strengthen consumer protection in digital commerce under the Guidelines for Prevention and Regulation of Dark Patterns, 2023, which identify 13 prohibited deceptive practices, including drip pricing, basket sneaking, false urgency, subscription traps, confirm shaming and trick questions. The Department of Consumer Affairs had also issued an advisory in June 2025 directing e-commerce platforms to conduct self-audits to identify and eliminate such practices.
Among the companies penalised, Zepto Marketplace received the highest fine of Rs 7 lakh. According to the CCPA, the quick-commerce platform initially displayed lower prices but added handling charges and membership fees at checkout. The regulator classified the handling charges as drip pricing, where the full price is not disclosed upfront, while the automatic addition of membership was treated as basket sneaking. The government informed Parliament that Zepto has since discontinued the practices flagged by the regulator.
BookMyShow was directed to remove a pre-selected Rs 1 contribution to its BookASmile charitable initiative. The CCPA said the donation was automatically added to users’ carts, requiring them to manually opt out, which amounted to basket sneaking under the 2023 guidelines. The platform has since removed the pre-ticked donation option.
The regulator also acted against IndiGo over the use of confirm shaming on its mobile application. Users declining an add-on service were previously shown the message, “No, I will take the risk,” a prompt the CCPA found to be manipulative. Following the regulator’s intervention, the airline replaced it with a neutral option reading, “No, I will not add to the trip.”
Digital education platform Physics Wallah was fined Rs 5 lakh after the regulator found that a Rs 10 donation to the PW Foundation was automatically pre-selected during checkout. The CCPA also objected to emotionally persuasive messaging encouraging users to retain the donation and raised concerns over requiring users to share personal information before accessing free courses. The company has since deposited the penalty and discontinued the identified practices.
Other penalties included Rs 3 lakh for Anuj Jindal, Rs 2 lakh for FirstCry, and Rs 1 lakh each for PharmEasy, McAfee and SpiceJet. While the government did not disclose the penalty amounts for IndiGo and BookMyShow, it confirmed that all platforms were directed to discontinue the deceptive practices identified by the regulator.
The CCPA said the enforcement drive is intended to improve transparency in India’s digital marketplace and ensure consumers can make informed purchasing decisions without being influenced by misleading interface designs. The latest action signals the regulator’s continued scrutiny of online platforms as digital commerce expands across sectors.
FAQs
- Why did the CCPA penalise nine digital platforms?
The CCPA found that the platforms used “dark patterns”—deceptive interface designs that could manipulate consumer decisions. - Which companies were penalised by the CCPA?
The platforms include Zepto, BookMyShow, IndiGo, Physics Wallah, FirstCry, SpiceJet, PharmEasy, McAfee and Anuj Jindal. - What are dark patterns?
Dark patterns are deceptive design techniques that influence users into making choices they may not have intended, such as hidden charges, pre-selected add-ons or misleading prompts. - Which platform received the highest penalty?
Zepto received the highest disclosed penalty of Rs 7 lakh for practices including drip pricing and basket sneaking. - What are the Dark Patterns Guidelines, 2023?
They are regulations issued by the government to prohibit deceptive online practices such as drip pricing, basket sneaking, false urgency, confirm shaming and subscription traps.
