In a move to strengthen consumer protection in India’s digital space, Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi will convene a key meeting on Wednesday (May 28) with major ecommerce and digital service players to address the growing issue of dark patterns — deceptive design tactics that manipulate user behavior.
Representatives from Amazon, Flipkart, 1mg, Apple, BigBasket, Meesho, Meta, MakeMyTrip, Paytm, Ola, Reliance Retail, Swiggy, Zomato, Yatra, Uber, Tata, EaseMyTrip, ClearTrip, IndiaMart, IndiGo, ixigo, Justdial, Medikabazaar, Netmeds, ONDC, Thomas Cook, WhatsApp, and others are expected to attend.
The Ministry of Consumer Affairs emphasized its commitment to fair trade and consumer rights, stating that it is actively working to eliminate unfair practices through enforcement and industry dialogue.
Dark patterns involve design elements in apps and websites that trick users into decisions that may not be in their best interest. In 2023, the government issued detailed guidelines identifying 13 such patterns, including false urgency, basket sneaking, confirm shaming, and subscription traps.
Public criticism around these practices has grown on social media, particularly targeting quick commerce apps like Zepto, Blinkit, and Instamart. Users have flagged issues like hidden delivery charges, location-based price variation, and items added to carts without consent. There have also been complaints about tips being automatically added to future orders.
Ride-hailing platforms such as Uber, Ola, and Rapido have faced similar scrutiny. In January, the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) sent notices over price differences between Android and iOS users. More recently, these companies were pulled up over an “advance tip” feature, which Minister Joshi criticized as exploitative and unethical, stating that tips should be voluntary and not used as a precondition for faster service.
