New Delhi: The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has imposed fines running into several lakhs of rupees on nine digital companies, including Zepto and BookMyShow, for using misleading interface designs and collecting hidden charges on online platforms.
The CCPA, set up in 2020 under the Consumer Protection Act, is tasked with safeguarding consumer rights and acting against unfair trade practices and misleading advertisements. It has also treated major e-commerce platforms as direct sellers while fixing responsibility for consumer-rights violations.
In 2023, the authority issued guidelines to curb so-called “dark patterns” — designs and practices that nudge or pressure users into choices against their preference, or obscure fee details. The guidelines list 13 types of deceptive practices, such as creating fake urgency about limited stock, adding extras like donations without explicit consent, showing a low price and later switching to a higher one, and revealing additional charges only at the final payment stage.
In a written reply to the Rajya Sabha, the Union government said several firms were fined for violating these norms and later discontinued the practices. Zepto was fined Rs 7 lakh after handling and subscription fees were added after an initial price was shown.
BookMyShow was directed to remove a pre-selected Re 1 donation option. IndiGo was asked to change wording that pressured users who declined add-on services, while online education platform Physics Wallah was fined Rs 5 lakh for seeking personal information to access free courses. FirstCry, PharmEasy and SpiceJet were also fined between Rs 1 lakh and Rs 3 lakh, the reply said.
