Consumer affairs secretary warns e-commerce sites on dark patterns

The Department of Consumer Affairs (DoCA) saw the demonstration of a tool being developed to identify dark patterns used by websites, including e-commerce platforms, on Tuesday.

The government has been working towards eliminating the usage of dark patterns by e-commerce platforms.

Terming them "unfair trade practices", Nidhi Khare, secretary, DoCA, cautioned e-commerce platforms against using dark patterns, adding that they violate consumer rights.

A team of students from IIT, BHU highlighted the use-case of their extension tool under the development phase. The students demonstrated the ways the tool uses Large Language Models (LLMs), generative AI, and other complex models to identify dark patterns on e-commerce platforms and alert users.

As part of its efforts against the use of dark patterns, the DoCA had launched the Dark Patterns Buster Hackathon in October last year. In collaboration with IIT-BHU, the hackathon was held to help design and prototype innovative app or software-based solutions, which can detect the use, type, and scale of dark patterns on e-commerce platforms.

Last year, the government had notified guidelines for the prevention and regulation of dark patterns, which had specified 13 of the most commonly used dark patterns.

Working towards busting dark patterns is part of the government's 100-day plan, a top official had told Business Standard earlier.

Industry representatives from All India Gaming Federation, Zomato, Easemytrip, Urban Company, Uber, and CRED also attended the session held on Tuesday.