26 e-commerce firms say platforms are dark pattern free, govt nudges rest to comply

Last week, 26 e-commerce platforms voluntarily submitted self-declaration letters confirming full compliance with the Guidelines for Prevention and Regulation of Dark Patterns, 2023. The Department of Consumer Affairs called this a significant step in protecting consumer interests and curbing deceptive online design practices that mislead or manipulate users.

The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) had earlier directed companies to prominently publish their self-audit declarations on their websites

for easy public access. The authority welcomed these disclosures, terming them exemplary, and encouraged other digital businesses to undertake similar self-regulation.

In its statement, the CCPA said: “Every business operating in India’s digital space must recognise that manipulative practices are short-sighted strategies that harm both consumers and businesses in the long run.” It also reaffirmed that it continues to monitor the ecosystem closely and will act against errant platforms.

Also Read: Drip Pricing on 11 of 26 platforms despite claiming to be dark-pattern free, LocalCircles finds

According to the declarations, all 26 companies have confirmed that their platforms are free from dark patterns and do not deploy any manipulative user-interface designs. These firms carried out internal self-audits or engaged third-party auditors to identify, assess and eliminate any such practices. The companies and their declared compliance status include:

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  Page Industries (Jockey, Speedo) – Self-audit conducted; platform free from dark patterns

  
  


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  William Penn (Sheaffer, Lapis Bard) – Self-audit; no dark patterns detected

  
  


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  PharmEasy – Internal audit confirms compliance

  
  


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  Zepto – UI/UX audited; ongoing monitoring

  
  


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  Curaden India (Curaprox) – Self-audit confirms absence of dark patterns

  
  


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  Duroflex – Self-audit confirms compliance

  
  


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  Flipkart – Third-party audit confirms no dark patterns

  
  


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  Myntra – Third-party audit confirms compliance

  
  


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  Cleartrip – Third-party audit affirms dark-pattern-free platform

  
  


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  Walmart India – Third-party audit finds no dark patterns

  
  


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  MakeMyTrip – Declares explicit consent required; no pre-ticked boxes

  
  


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  BigBasket – Internal review completed; remedial measures implemented

  
  


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  Tira Beauty – Internal review confirms compliance

  
  


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  JioMart – Declared free of dark patterns; ongoing monitoring

  
  


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  Reliance Jewels – Declared fully compliant

  
  


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  Ajio – Declared free of dark patterns

  
  


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  Reliance Digital – Internal review ensures compliance

  
  


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  Netmeds – Declared free of dark patterns

  
  


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  Hamleys – Internal review confirms compliance

  
  


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  MilBasket – Platform declared compliant

  
  


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  Swiggy – Self-audit completed; improving consumer experience

  
  


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  Tata 1mg – Comprehensive self-audit; consumer-centric design

  
  


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  Zomato – Internal assessment aligns with CCPA advisory

  
  


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  Blinkit – Internal review supports transparent design

  
  


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  Ixigo – Declared free of dark patterns

  
  


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  Meesho – Declared free of all 13 identified dark patterns; regular checks ongoing

  
  

These declarations are publicly accessible on the CCPA website: https://www.doca.gov.in/ccpa/slef-audit-companies-dark-pattern.php

The Dark Patterns Guidelines, notified on 30 November 2023, identify and prohibit 13 dark patterns, including false urgency, basket sneaking, confirm shaming, forced action, subscription traps, interface interference, bait-and-switch, drip pricing, disguised advertisements, nagging, trick wording, SaaS billing and rogue malware.

Issued under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, the guidelines form a key part of the government’s efforts to build a transparent, trustworthy and consumer-centric digital marketplace.

To strengthen compliance, the CCPA issued an advisory on 5 June 2025 requiring all e-commerce platforms and online service providers to carry out a mandatory self-audit within three months. The advisory emphasised transparency, explicit consent, clear disclosures and non-manipulative design as essential elements for safeguarding consumer rights.