As India strengthens regulatory oversight of the digital ecosystem, the removal of dark patterns marks a significant step toward ensuring fair trade practices, improved online user experience, and higher accountability across ecommerce platforms.
The Ministry of Consumer Affairs has announced that 26 leading ecommerce and quick-commerce platforms have formally declared themselves compliant with India’s Guidelines for Prevention and Regulation of Dark Patterns, 2023. Major online players—including Flipkart, Swiggy, Zomato, Blinkit, Zepto, Meesho, Tata 1mg, BigBasket, Ajio, and others—have submitted voluntary self-declaration letters confirming they are free from manipulative design practices meant to mislead consumers.
According to the government, these platforms conducted internal self-audits or third-party audits to identify and eliminate dark patterns such as false urgency, basket sneaking, subscription traps, confirm shaming, and other deceptive UI/UX tactics. The ministry stated that all 26 companies have affirmed that their user interfaces do not deploy any form of manipulative or misleading design.
While Zomato, Blinkit, PharmEasy, Swiggy, BigBasket, Meesho, Ajio, and Tata 1mg reported compliance through internal assessments, Flipkart and its subsidiaries Myntra and Cleartrip relied on independent third-party audits to validate their adherence to the norms. Zepto added that its UI and UX underwent a dedicated audit and that it continues to monitor its platform proactively to prevent dark pattern violations.
Calling these disclosures “exemplary,” the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) urged more companies to eliminate dark patterns and align with consumer-first digital practices. The authority emphasized that it is actively tracking potential violations and will take strict enforcement action against platforms that continue to manipulate users. The CCPA also reiterated that deceptive design practices may offer short-term gains but ultimately harm consumers and damage trust in digital businesses.
Dark patterns—commonly used to trick users into making unintended purchases or decisions—have been a persistent concern across ecommerce and digital services. The government’s guidelines identify 13 banned dark patterns, including bait-and-switch, disguised ads, forced action, misdirection, and tactics that pressure or confuse users. These rules, issued under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, form a key part of India’s push for a transparent, trustworthy, and consumer-centric online economy.
Reinforcing the crackdown, the CCPA in June directed all digital platforms to conduct a mandatory self-audit to detect and remove dark patterns. The latest declarations from these 26 platforms are part of that compliance drive. The issue gained renewed attention after reports—including those highlighted during the recent festive-season sales—showed instances of order cancellations, delayed refunds, misleading discounts, and manipulated pricing on major ecommerce platforms.
