Zepto, BookMyShow, IndiGo among nine platforms fined Rs 20 lakh over 'dark patterns'
New Delhi: The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has imposed penalties totalling around Rs 20 lakh on nine digital platforms for using "dark patterns"—design practices on websites and apps that can influence or manipulate consumers into making unintended purchases or decisions.
The Centre informed the Rajya Sabha about the enforcement action, with companies including Zepto, BookMyShow, IndiGo, Physics Wallah, FirstCry, PharmEasy, McAfee, SpiceJet and Anuj Jindal facing penalties.
Dark patterns are user interface designs that can mislead or pressure consumers into taking actions they may not have intended, such as paying hidden charges, accepting subscriptions, or making donations without realising it.
Examples include drip pricing, basket sneaking, confirm shaming, misleading countdown timers, subscription traps and trick questions.
The CCPA found that Zepto displayed one price to customers initially, but additional costs such as handling charges and membership fees were added during the payment process.
The regulator classified the handling charges as drip pricing, where the final amount payable is not fully disclosed upfront. The automatic addition of a membership plan was treated as basket sneaking.
Zepto was fined Rs 7 lakh and has since discontinued the practices identified by the regulator.
BookMyShow asked to remove pre-selected donationThe CCPA also took action against BookMyShow after finding that a Rs 1 contribution to its BookASmile charity initiative was pre-selected during ticket bookings.
The regulator said consumers should not have to manually opt out of such contributions, classifying the practice as basket sneaking.
IndiGo was pulled up over a practice known as confirm shaming.
The airline's app previously displayed the opt-out message, "No I will take risk," when customers chose not to purchase an add-on. Following the regulator's intervention, the wording was changed to "No, I will not add to the trip," which the CCPA considered more neutral.
The regulator imposed a Rs 5 lakh penalty on Physics Wallah after finding that a Rs 10 donation to the PW Foundation was automatically selected during transactions.
The CCPA also objected to emotional prompts encouraging users to retain the donation and raised concerns about users being required to provide personal information before accessing free courses.
According to the government, Physics Wallah has paid the penalty and discontinued the practices flagged by the regulator.
Other platforms also finedThe CCPA also imposed penalties ranging from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 3 lakh on FirstCry, PharmEasy, McAfee, SpiceJet and Anuj Jindal.
The regulator cited issues such as hidden charges, forced subscriptions, misleading countdown timers and manipulative subscription renewal prompts.
The Guidelines for Prevention and Regulation of Dark Patterns, 2023 identify 13 types of deceptive interface designs, including false urgency, basket sneaking, drip pricing, subscription traps, confirm shaming and trick questions.
According to the government, the CCPA has collected nearly Rs 20 lakh in penalties from companies found violating these guidelines since enforcement began.