Top 26 e-commerce platforms declare themselves free of dark patterns: Govt

The government on Thursday said 26 leading e-commerce companies have self-declared that their platforms are free from dark patterns.

Zepto, Zomato, Swiggy, Jiomart and BigBasket are among these 26 e-commerce platforms.

This is a significant step towards protecting consumer interest in the digital marketplace, the Department of Consumer Affairs said in a statement.

As many as 26 leading e-commerce platforms have voluntarily submitted self-declaration letters confirming compliance with the Guidelines for Prevention and Regulation of Dark Patterns, 2023, it added.

The Department has been making efforts to curb deceptive online design practices that mislead or manipulate consumers.

These 26 e-commerce players have conducted internal self-audits or third-party audits to identify, assess and eliminate any presence of dark patterns.

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

The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) said these declarations would encourage other companies to adopt similar self-regulation.

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

These are -- 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.

Some of the e-commerce platforms that have self-declared their platforms are free of dark patterns include Pharm Easy, Zepto Marketplace, Flipkart Internet, Myntra Designs, Walmart India, MakeMyTrip (India), BigBasket (Innovative Retail Concepts), and JioMart (Reliance Retail).

The other leading e-commerce platforms that have declared Compliance with self-audit 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.