Misleading Ads

CCPA fines Drishti IAS ₹5 lakh for misleading claims on UPSC results

The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has imposed a penalty of Rs 5 lakh on Drishti IAS (VDK Eduventures Pvt Ltd) for publishing misleading advertisements regarding the results of the UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) 2022. Drishti IAS, in its advertisement, prominently claimed "216+ selections in UPSC CSE 2022" along with names and photographs of successful candidates. However, upon examination, CCPA found that the claim was misleading and concealed crucial information regarding the type and duration of courses opted for by these candidates, the Consumer Affairs Ministry said in a statement. The investigation revealed that out of the 216 candidates claimed by Drishti IAS, as many as 162 candidates (75 per cent) had only taken the free Interview Guidance Programme (IGP) of the institute, after independently clearing the Preliminary and Mains stages of UPSC CSE. Only 54 students were enrolled in IGP and other courses. This deliberate concealment of important informati

CCPA fines VLCC Rs 3 lakh for misleading CoolSculpting slimming ads

It was found that VLCC was making exaggerated claims of drastic weight loss and inch reduction within a single session, which went far beyond the actual approval granted to the CoolSculpting machine

CCPA imposes ₹10 lakh fine on Rapido for misleading auto service claims

The CCPA stated that Rapido made misleading claims in its promotional campaigns, including "Guaranteed Auto" and "AUTO IN 5 MIN OR GET ₹50", which were not substantiated

Offshore betting, real estate top ad violations in ASCI's 2024-25 report

According to an ASCI report, 47.5% of the total ads were found to promote harmful products or situations, while 56% were deemed misleading

Bar Council of India warns public about fake notice on advocates' fees

A press statement issued in this regard stated that the document is intended to mislead the public and members of the legal profession by falsely presenting itself as an official directive from BCI

SC warns states of contempt for inaction on misleading advertisements

The SC bench scheduled compliance reviews for Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Goa, Gujarat, and Jammu & Kashmir on February 10

Homebuyers' body urges govt action on misleading real estate advertisements

The Forum for People's Collective Efforts has urged the Ministry of Consumer Affairs to implement stricter guidelines and enforce penalties for non-compliance with advertisement guidelines

Emami fined Rs 15 lakh in decade-old Fair & Handsome misleading ads case

The complaint mentioned that despite regular use of the fairness cream, as per the instructions on the packaging, it did not lead to fairer skin as advertised

Govt issues guidelines to crack down on misleading ads by coaching centres

The Centre on Wednesday released new guidelines to regulate misleading advertisements by coaching institutes, prohibiting false claims like 100 per cent selection or 100 per cent job security. The final guidelines, drafted by the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA), come in the wake of several complaints on the National Consumer Helpline. The CCPA has issued 54 notices and imposed penalties of about Rs 54.60 lakh till date. "We have seen coaching centres deliberately concealing information from prospective students. Therefore, we have come out with the guidelines to provide guidance to people involved in the coaching industry," Consumer Affairs Secretary Nidhi Khare told reporters. The government is not against the coaching centres but the quality of advertisements should not undermine the consumer rights, she said. Under the new guidelines, coaching centres are prohibited from making false claims regarding courses offered and duration; faculty credentials; fee structure a

Supreme Court halts Ayush Ministry notification over misleading drug ad

The notification by the Ayush Ministry was in direct breach of the Supreme Court's earlier orders that mandate advertisers to submit a self-declaration before broadcasting or publishing ads

SC closes contempt case as Ramdev, Balkrishna agree to end misleading ads

Patanjali misleading ads case: The lawsuit accused yoga guru Ramdev of undermining public trust in allopathic treatments and promoting misinformation during the Covid-19 pandemic

SC criticises state authority for inaction in Patanjali misleading ads case

'When you want to do something, you do it with lightning speed, but if you don't, then for years nothing moves,' the Supreme Court bench told the Uttarakhand State Licensing Authority

Misleading ads case: Patanjali MD Acharya Balkrishna submits apology to SC

In an affidavit submitted to the Supreme Court, Balkrishna apologised for the misleading ads and claimed that the intention of the company was to solely promote Ayurveda

'Sitting with eyes closed': SC rebukes Centre over misleading Patanjali ads

The Supreme Court had warned Patanjali Ayurved against disseminating 'false' and 'misleading' claims in its advertisements

Govt examining draft guidelines on 'dark patterns' submitted by task force

A 17-member Task Force, which was set up to frame draft guidelines to stop the menace of "dark patterns" by online players, has submitted its report and the same is being examined by the Consumer Affairs Ministry. Dark patterns are the tactics used by online players to deceive customers or manipulate their choices. The Task Force that was constituted on June 28, submitted the draft guidelines to the nodal Consumer Affairs Ministry on August 14. "The ministry is examining the draft guidelines and will notify soon," a senior government official told PTI. In the draft guidelines, the Task Force has clearly defined "dark patterns" which are against the interest of consumers and should not be used by online platforms. The draft guideline also classified different forms of "dark patterns' that are in use on various e-platforms. These guidelines were finalised after an elaborate discussion with representatives of Amazon, Flipkart, Google, Meta, Ola Cabs, Swiggy, Zomato, Ship Rocket, Go-M

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FSSAI finds 32 new cases of misleading ads, claims by food biz operators

Food regulator FSSAI on Friday said there are 32 new cases where food business operators (FBOs) have been prima-facie found in violation of misleading advertisements and claims. FSSAI has referred the matter to licensing authorities concerned to issue notices to these FBOs for withdrawing misleading claims or scientifically substantiate claims. These FBOs include manufacturers and/or marketers of nutraceutical products, refined oils, pulses, flours, millet products, ghee etc. "In order to keep a close tab on the claims and advertisements being made by the FBOs on their products, Advertisement Monitoring Committee of FSSAI has reported 32 fresh cases which have been found prima facie in contravention of the provisions of Food Safety and Standards (Advertisements & Claims) Regulations, 2018," the regulator said in a statement. Under these regulations, deceptive claims or advertisements are prohibited and are punishable offences under Section-53 of the FSS Act, 2006. The food ...

Child rights body asks Bournvita to remove misleading ads, submit report

Bournvita recently made headlines after an Instagram influencer claimed that it contains sugar, cocoa solids and a cancer-causing colourant

Govt to support edtech industry in framing rules to curb misleading ads

The government on Monday asked edtech companies to eliminate unfair trade practices while extending support to the industry in formalising guidelines to curb misleading advertisements in the segment. In a statement, IAMAI said that the self-regulatory body Indian Edtech Consortium (IEC) met with the Consumer Affairs Secretary Rohit Kumar Singh to update him about the progress of the self-regulation. "...the Consumer Affairs Secretary agreed to support IEC to constitute a joint working group for laying down advertising guidelines for further sanitising the Edtech ecosystem," the Internet and Mobile Association of India said. It is pertinent to mention that on July 1, Consumer Affairs Secretary called a meeting of edtech companies, and warned them against indulging in unfair trade practices, including misleading advertisements. At that time, the Centre had also told the players that it will be forced to bring stringent guidelines if there is no self-regulation by the industry players

CCPA issues notices for surrogate ads to Kamla Pasand, Rajnigandha

The ministry has also increased the number of price monitoring centres from 175 to 283