The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has penalised nine digital platforms, including IndiGo, Zepto, FirstCry, Physics Wallah and SpiceJet, for deploying “dark patterns” – deceptive user interface designs that manipulate consumer choices, the government told Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.
The action is part of the consumer affairs department’s efforts to strengthen safeguards against unfair digital trade practices.
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13 types of deceptive interface designs: False urgency, basket sneaking, drip pricing
The Prevention and Regulation of Dark Patterns Guidelines, 2023 identifies and regulates 13 types of deceptive interface designs, including false urgency, basket sneaking, subscription traps, drip pricing, confirm shaming and trick questions, HT earlier reported.
The CCPA issued an advisory in June 2025 asking e-commerce platforms to conduct self-audits to detect dark patterns on their platforms.
Since then, the regulator has collected about ₹20 lakh in fines from companies found violating the guidelines, the government told the Rajya Sabha in a written reply on Tuesday.
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Zepto fined over handling charges, membership fees
Zepto Marketplace, a quick commerce platform, was fined ₹7 lakh after the CCPA found that it initially displayed lower prices but later added handling charges and membership fees.
The regulator held that the handling charges amounted to drip pricing, while automatically adding the membership constituted basket sneaking.
The government informed the House that Zepto has discontinued the dark pattern.
Physics Wallah penalised over pre-selected donation
The CCPA took suo motu cognisance and fined digital education platform Physics Wallah ₹5 lakh after the regulator found that a ₹10 donation to its “PW Foundation” was automatically pre-selected.
It also found that emotionally persuasive messaging was displayed to nudge consumers into retaining the pre-selected donation amount.
The regulator further objected to free courses requiring mandatory disclosure of personal information before users could access them. “The company deposited the penalty and discontinued the dark pattern,” the government told the Rajya Sabha.
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IndiGo changed app prompt after CCPA intervention
The CCPA also acted on complaints about IndiGo’s use of confirm shaming on its mobile application. Following the regulator’s intervention, the airline replaced its earlier opt-out message, “No I will take risk”, with the more neutral, “No, I will not add to the trip.”
BookMyShow pulled up for ‘basket sneaking’
BookMyShow, the movie ticket booking platform, was directed to remove a pre-ticked ₹1 contribution to its charitable initiative, BookASmile, after the CCPA pulled it up for basket sneaking.
The regulator also imposed penalties on FirstCry ( ₹2 lakh), PharmaEasy ( ₹1 lakh), McAfee ( ₹1 lakh), SpiceJet ( ₹1 lakh) and coaching platform Anuj Jindal ( ₹3 lakh).
They were directed to discontinue dark patterns ranging from hidden charges and forced subscriptions to misleading countdown timers and manipulative subscription renewal prompts.
