26 E-Commerce Giants Declare Zero Dark Patterns: India Marks a Landmark Moment in Digital Consumer Protection

As India’s digital economy surges forward—with millions of consumers entering the online marketplace every month—questions around trust, transparency, and ethical design have grown louder than ever. Over the past few years, as e-commerce apps became ubiquitous, so did subtle design tricks buried inside their interfaces: countdown timers that weren’t real, hidden charges revealed only at checkout, pre-ticked consent boxes, confusing interface prompts, or tricky subscription traps.

Together, these design choices—known globally as dark patterns—quietly nudged consumers into actions they may not have intended. And now, for the first time, India has reached a crucial turning point in its battle against such manipulative digital design.

In a significant milestone for the country’s digital consumer rights movement, 26 leading e-commerce platforms have voluntarily declared complete compliance with the Guidelines for Prevention and Regulation of Dark Patterns, 2023. The move follows a structured self-audit mandated earlier this year and marks a collective industry acknowledgement that transparent consumer experience is no longer optional—it is foundational to digital business growth.

A Voluntary Shift Backed by Accountability

According to the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA), all 26 platforms—spanning fashion, travel, healthcare, hyperlocal delivery, beauty, groceries, and electronics—have carried out internal assessments or third-party audits to ensure their websites and apps are entirely free from dark patterns.

Each company has formally declared:

• No use of deceptive UI or UX designs

• Clear and explicit consumer consent mechanisms

• Removal of any potentially manipulative user flows

• Structured internal mechanisms for regular monitoring

For an industry that has often been criticised for design-driven persuasion, this marks a significant attitudinal shift.

The CCPA has not only acknowledged the declarations but termed them industry-best practices, urging all remaining digital platforms to follow suit. In a digital marketplace where trust is currency, compliance with ethical design is no longer seen as a burden—but as a brand-building asset.

Why This Matters: A Turning Point for Digital Consumer Rights in India

The timing is critical. India today has over 850 million internet users, and online shopping has moved from being an urban luxury to a nationwide mainstream habit. With this digitisation, the government’s move to curb manipulative design is both timely and essential.

Through the National Consumer Helpline, awareness campaigns, social media outreach, and video explainers, consumers have been gradually educated about identifying dark patterns. Complaints continue to be addressed actively, and enforcement action remains on the table for non-compliant platforms.

The message from the CCPA is clear:
Manipulative design is short-term thinking. Consumer trust is long-term value.

What Exactly Are Dark Patterns?

India’s 2023 guidelines identified and prohibited 13 specific dark patterns commonly found across e-commerce and digital services:

1. False Urgency

2. Basket Sneaking

3. Confirm Shaming

4. Forced Action

5. Subscription Trap

6. Interface Interference

7. Bait & Switch

8. Drip Pricing

9. Disguised Advertisements

10. Nagging

11. Trick Wording

12. SaaS Billing

13. Rogue Malwares

These patterns are now formally considered deceptive under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.

To further strengthen implementation, the CCPA issued an advisory on 5 June 2025, directing all online platforms to conduct a mandatory self-audit within three months. Platforms were instructed to ensure clearer disclosures, explicit consumer consent, and an overall removal of manipulative interface elements.

What followed was a series of consultations with industry leaders, consumer bodies, and UX experts, culminating in one of India’s most robust frameworks for ethical digital design.

The Platforms That Stepped Up

Here is the complete list of the 26 platforms that have officially declared themselves dark-pattern-free:

• Page Industries (Jockey, Speedo)

• William Penn Pvt. Ltd. (Sheaffer, Lapis Bard)

• PharmEasy

• Zepto

• Curaden India (Curaprox)

• Duroflex

• Flipkart

• Myntra

• Cleartrip

• Walmart India

• MakeMyTrip

• BigBasket

• Tira Beauty (Reliance Retail)

• JioMart

• Reliance Jewels

• Ajio

• Reliance Digital

• Netmeds

• Hamleys

• MilBasket

• Swiggy

• Tata 1mg

• Zomato

• Blinkit

• Ixigo

• Meesho

The diversity of this group—from legacy retailers to digital-first unicorns—demonstrates an industry-wide acceptance that consumer protection is integral to India’s evolving digital economy.

With these 26 platforms setting the benchmark, the CCPA expects other players—marketplaces, service providers, app developers—to follow the same transparent path. The process doesn’t end with one audit. Platforms are expected to continue monitoring, re-evaluating, and ensuring ongoing compliance.

The authority has made it clear:
digital consumer protection is now a continuous responsibility, not a one-time checkbox.

As India’s digital commerce landscape prepares for its next phase of growth, this collective self-regulation stands as a reminder that innovation must always be balanced with ethics—and that consumer trust remains the ultimate competitive edge.