New Delhi, 7 June (IANS). The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) on Saturday issued an advisory to self-audit all e-commerce platforms within three months to detect misleading and inappropriate trade practices that are of the nature of dark patterns.
Dark patterns are design elements that are used to mislead users on websites and apps to mislead or choose unexpected options. These practices eliminate consumer confidence, distort the fair market dynamics and pose a serious threat to the integrity of digital commerce.
The CCPA said, “All e-commerce platforms have been advised to self-audit to identify dark patterns within three months of the advisory issuance and take necessary steps to ensure that their platforms are free from such dark patterns.”
Based on the self-leakage examination report, the e-commerce firm “self-declaration can give that their platform is not involved in any dark pattern.”
The regulatory body said that self-declaration would enable a fair digital ecosystem along with building confidence between consumers and e-commerce platforms.
The CCPA mentioned that it has also sent a notice to the e-commerce platform about cases of dark patterns that violate guidelines for the prevention and regulation of dark patterns.
In addition, the Department of Consumer Affairs formed a joint work group for “to investigate and measure to identify the violation of dark patterns on e-commerce platforms.
The Joint Work Group includes representatives of the concerned ministries, regulators, voluntary consumer organizations and NLUs who will share information with the Department of Consumer Affairs at regular intervals.
The group will also work to create awareness among consumers to avoid dark patterns.
This step is part of the government’s broad strategy and efforts to strengthen consumer protection in the digital age and to curb improper practices in e-commerce and online services.
The Department of Consumer Affairs notified guidelines for prevention and regulation of dark patterns in 2023 and specified 13 dark patterns.
-IANS
GKT/
