The consumers of today are vigilant, informed, and increasingly aware of their rights—they will not tolerate deceit, said Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution and New & Renewable Energy, Shri Pralhad Joshi while chairing a high-level stakeholder meeting here today, to address the growing concern around dark patterns in digital commerce.

The Department of Consumer Affairs, Government of India convened the meeting which brought together key representatives from major e-commerce companies, industry associations, Voluntary Consumer Organizations, and National Law Universities for a focused dialogue on eliminating deceptive online practices.

The Union Minister emphasised the importance of responsible industry behavior, adding that the Guidelines on Dark Patterns were the result of intensive consultations with various stakeholders, including leading e-commerce companies and industry associations. With mutual agreement reached, the Minister urged all companies to now fully comply with the guidelines and integrate them into their internal governance and consumer protection mechanisms.

Highlighting recent developments, Shri Joshi noted a significant surge in consumer complaints related to dark patterns on the National Consumer Helpline (NCH). To address this, he issued a clear directive to all major e-commerce companies: conduct regular internal audits to identify and eliminate dark patterns on their platforms. “Companies must not wait for the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) to intervene. They should proactively recognize and remove these deceptive practices before notices are issued. This is not just regulatory compliance—it’s about building trust with your consumers,” he stated.

He further noted that the creative ideas and technological solutions generated through Dark Patterns Buster Hackathon 2023 played a pivotal role in empowering the Department, in collaboration with IIT BHU, to develop three powerful consumer protection tools — the Jagriti App, Jago Grahak Jago App, and the Jagriti Dashboard.

"These tools are a testament to our resolve in combating deceptive design practices that mislead consumers online," the Minister stated. He elaborated that the Jagriti App enables consumers to report dark patterns on e-commerce platforms directly to the CCPA and flags suspicious websites, while the Jago Grahak Jago App shields users from malicious platforms and offers real-time safety scores for the e-commerce link which a consumer is visiting. Furthermore, the Jagriti Dashboard serves as a robust analytical tool, generating detailed reports on dark patterns for e-commerce platforms under the CCPA’s scrutiny. The Minister emphasized that these efforts mark a significant step toward greater transparency and accountability in the digital marketplace.

Smt. Nidhi Khare, Secretary, Department of Consumer Affairs, provided an insightful introduction to the theme and outlined the Department’s multi-pronged efforts to address this pressing issue. She set the tone by highlighting the alarming rise of dark patterns—design elements used on websites and apps to mislead or coerce users into making unintended choices. These practices, she noted, undermine consumer autonomy, manipulate purchasing behavior, and have a detrimental impact on consumer trust and welfare. She emphasized that tackling dark patterns is essential for preserving consumer rights and ensuring fair digital trade.

She further stated that on National Consumer Day 2024 many companies took Safety Pledge, which ensures that they will take proactive steps to protect consumer interest. The dark patters used on their platforms infringes the pledge so taken by them. She also stated that National Consumer Helpline (NCH) administered by the Department has emerged as a single point of access to consumers across the country for their grievance redressal at a pre-litigation stage which also includes E-Commerce Platforms as convergence partners. Today, many organizations and aspirational consumers are working for safeguarding the consumers and also for consumer awareness.

She stated that Department is getting direct responses from the consumers identifying the dark patterns. She concluded by stating that we have gathered today to reiterate the commitment to protect the consumers.

The representatives of the major e-commerce companies 1mg.com, AIRBNB, Amazon, Apple, Zepto, Booking.com,Ola Electric, Tata Digital, Adidas India, Samsung, Ikigai Law, Indigo Airlines, Ixigo, MakeMyTrip, Mastercard, Meta, Netmeds, Namma Yatri, PharmEasy, Reliance Retail, Rapido, Shiprocket, Snapdeal, Swiggy, Thomas Cook, Uber, Whatsapp, Yatra, Zomato & Blinkit, Flipkart, Google, Justdial, ONDC, and Paytm were present during the meeting. Further, the major industry associations CAIT, CCI, FICCI, NASSCOM, PHDCCI, and Retailers Association of India along with Voluntary Consumer Organisations and National Law Universities, attended the meeting.

Shri Bharat Harbanslal Khera, Additional Secretary, Department of Consumer Affairs in his address said that the Department has always supported the ease of doing business while ensuring consumer safety. Consumer Protection (E-commerce) Rules, 2020 were notified to ensure consumer safety on the e-commerce. He elaborated on the landmark achievement of the Department in issuing the Guidelines for Prevention and Regulation of Dark Patterns, 2023, which were developed through extensive stakeholder consultations and aim to clearly define and prohibit manipulative digital design practices. He also stated that 13 dark patterns are being recognized by the Guidelines.

During the meeting, Sh. Anupam Mishra, Joint Secretary, delivered a comprehensive presentation outlining the rising concerns around deceptive design practices, also known as dark patterns. He highlighted how such practices undermine consumers’ choice manipulating user interfaces to mislead, coerce or deceive consumers—often resulting in unintended purchases, privacy violations, and increased digital addiction. The presentation detailed the Department’s proactive approach, including the formulation and notification of the "Guidelines for Prevention and Regulation of Dark Patterns, 2023", which define and regulate 13 specific dark patterns under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019. He also shared insights on stakeholder consultations, international perspectives, and enforcement measures taken by the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA), reaffirming India’s position as the first country to issue dedicated guidelines to combat dark patterns.

The high-level meeting concluded with a strong call to action, reaffirming the government’s commitment to protecting digital consumers and urging all stakeholders to work together in creating a transparent, ethical, and user-centric online environment. The Department reiterated its readiness to support businesses in implementing the guidelines and welcomed continued collaboration with industry, academia, and civil society to keep India’s digital marketplace fair and inclusive.

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Nihi Sharma