26 E-Commerce Platforms Declare Compliance with Dark Pattern Prevention Guidelines in India

According to a recent government announcement, 26 major e-commerce companies have officially declared that their platforms are free from dark patterns.

New Delhi authorities reported that companies including Zepto, Zomato, Swiggy, JioMart, and BigBasket are among the platforms that have made this significant declaration.

The Department of Consumer Affairs emphasized that this represents an important advancement in safeguarding consumer interests within the digital marketplace.

These 26 prominent e-commerce platforms have voluntarily submitted self-declaration letters confirming their compliance with the Guidelines for Prevention and Regulation of Dark Patterns, 2023.

The Department has been actively working to eliminate deceptive online design practices that could potentially manipulate or mislead consumers.

All participating companies have conducted either internal self-audits or engaged third-party auditors to identify, evaluate, and remove any instances of dark patterns from their platforms.

"All 26 companies have declared that their platforms are free from dark patterns and do not deploy any manipulative user interface designs," the official statement confirmed.

The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) expressed hope that these declarations would motivate other companies to adopt similar self-regulatory measures.

The Guidelines for Prevention and Regulation of Dark Patterns, 2023, which became effective on November 30, 2023, identify and prohibit 13 specific dark patterns.

These prohibited practices include False Urgency, Basket Sneaking, Confirm Shaming, Forced Action, Subscription Trap, Interface Interference, Bait & Switch, Drip Pricing, Disguised Advertisements, Nagging, Trick Wording, SaaS Billing, and Rogue Malwares.

The compliant e-commerce platforms include Pharm Easy, Zepto Marketplace, Flipkart Internet, Myntra Designs, Walmart India, MakeMyTrip (India), BigBasket (Innovative Retail Concepts), and JioMart (Reliance Retail).

Additional leading platforms that have declared compliance through self-audits to eliminate dark patterns include Zomato, Swiggy, Blinkit, Page Industries, William Penn, Cleartrip, Reliance Jewels, Reliance Digital, Netmeds, Tata 1mg, Meesho, Ixigo, MilBasket, Hamleys, Ajio, Tira Beauty (Reliance Retail Ltd), Duroflex Pvt. Ltd, and Curaden India.