Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA), in the exercise of the powers conferred by Section 18 of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, issued these guidelines.
The Guidelines have been issued for preventing and regulating dark patterns listing 13 specified dark patterns.
Dark patterns involve using design and choice architecture to deceive, coerce, or influence consumers into making choices that are not in their best interests.
Dark patterns include various manipulative practices, such as drip pricing, disguised advertising, bait and switch, false immediacy, etc.
As defined under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, such practices fall under the category of “unfair trade practices.”
Under the provisions of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, the Department of Consumer Affairs has also notified the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020, to protect consumers from unfair trade practices in e-commerce.
On June 9, 2022, the Prevention of Misleading Advertisements and Endorsement of Misleading Advertisements Guidelines, 2022 was notified by the CCPA.
On 23 November 2022, the framework on ‘Online Consumer Reviews — Principles and Requirements for their Collection, Moderation and Publication’ was notified by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS).
