NEW DELHI: The government has issued notices to 11 companies, including Zepto, Rapido, Uber and Ola for deploying dark patterns to influence consumers’ decision making. Consumer affairs ministry on Wednesday also asked all major e-commerce and online platforms to follow govt’s guidelines on “dark patterns”, else actions will be taken to protect consumers’ interest.
Speaking to reporters after a meeting with representatives of major e-commerce companies, industry associations and voluntary consumer organisations on eliminating deceptive online practices , consumer affairs minister Pralhad Joshi said e-commerce players need to carry out internal audits to find out whether any dark pattern is used on their platforms, even by their sellers. They need to submit audit reports to the department.
Joshi also announced that a joint working group will be set up for effective implementation of the guidelines and curb this unfair trade practice. In November 2023, the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA), under the Consumer Protection Act, had notified Guidelines for Prevention and Regulation of Dark Patterns to curb this menace on digital and offline platforms.