CCPA fines IndiGo, Zepto, BookMyShow and six others over 'dark patterns'

The consumer watchdog fined IndiGo, Zepto, BookMyShow, Physics Wallah and five other platforms for using 'dark patterns' that misled users through hidden charges, pre-selected options

The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has imposed penalties on nine digital platforms, including IndiGo, Zepto, FirstCry, Physics Wallah, BookMyShow and SpiceJet, for using "dark patterns" — design practices that mislead or manipulate consumers while making online purchases.

 

The action was disclosed by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday. The government said the regulator has stepped up efforts to curb unfair practices in the digital marketplace and strengthen consumer protection.

 

CCPA steps up action against deceptive online practices

 

The ministry said the CCPA has intensified enforcement against companies that violate the Prevention and Regulation of Dark Patterns Guidelines, 2023.

   

The guidelines identify 13 types of deceptive interface designs, including false urgency, basket sneaking, drip pricing, subscription traps, confirm shaming and trick questions. These practices are designed to influence users into making choices they may not have intended.

 

In June 2025, the CCPA asked e-commerce platforms to carry out self-audits to identify and remove dark patterns from their services.

 

The government informed Parliament that the regulator has so far collected around ₹20 lakh in penalties from companies found violating the guidelines.

 

Zepto fined for drip pricing and basket sneaking

 

Quick commerce platform Zepto Marketplace was fined ₹7 lakh after the CCPA found that additional handling charges and membership fees were added during the checkout process, the Hindustan Times reported.

 

According to the regulator, displaying a lower price initially and adding handling charges later amounted to drip pricing, while automatically including a membership plan without clear consent was treated as basket sneaking.

 

The government said Zepto has since removed these practices from its platform.

 

Physics Wallah penalised over pre-selected donation

 

The CCPA imposed a ₹5 lakh penalty on edtech platform Physics Wallah after taking suo motu cognisance of a pre-selected ₹10 donation to its PW Foundation.

 

The regulator found that users were shown emotionally persuasive messages encouraging them to keep the donation selected. It also objected to the platform requiring users to share personal information before accessing free courses.

 

The government told the Rajya Sabha that the company has paid the penalty and discontinued the identified dark patterns.

 

IndiGo modifies app prompt

 

The regulator also acted against IndiGo over the use of confirm shaming on its mobile application.

 

Following the CCPA's intervention, the airline replaced the opt-out message "No I will take risk" with the more neutral wording, "No, I will not add to the trip."

 

BookMyShow, FirstCry and others also penalised

 

BookMyShow was directed to remove a pre-selected ₹1 donation to its BookASmile charitable initiative after the regulator found it to be a case of basket sneaking, the news report said.

 

The CCPA also imposed penalties on FirstCry (₹2 lakh), PharmaEasy (₹1 lakh), McAfee (₹1 lakh), SpiceJet (₹1 lakh) and coaching platform Anuj Jindal (₹3 lakh).

 

According to the government, these companies were asked to discontinue dark patterns such as hidden charges, forced subscriptions, misleading countdown timers and manipulative prompts related to subscription renewals.

 

Dark patterns cost Indian shoppers up to ₹28,000 cr a year

 

Indian online shoppers lose an estimated ₹25,000 crore to ₹28,000 crore every year because of dark patterns, according to a report by Datum Intelligence.

 

The report, titled 'Dark Patterns in India's Online Marketplaces', estimates that nearly 88 per cent of the country's 304 million online shoppers lose between ₹78 and ₹87 every month due to these practices. It also warns that such tactics are changing consumer behaviour, with more people cutting back on spending, comparing prices across platforms or switching to competing services. As a result, over ₹55,000 crore in gross merchandise value (GMV) could be at risk.

 

The study found that 63 per cent of online payment users faced hidden charges or drip pricing during digital transactions, up from 52 per cent in 2024.

 

According to the report, dark patterns have become widespread across India's digital economy. Around 73 per cent of the platforms studied used forced action techniques that pushed users into choices they may not have made otherwise. Another 69 per cent relied on drip pricing by revealing additional charges only at the final stage of checkout. More than half also used bait-and-switch tactics, where the final product, service or price differed from what was initially advertised.