Flipkart And Meta Fined Rs 10,00,000 Each: Why Selling Walkie-Talkies Online Can Land You In trouble

Just ahead of the Flipkart Republic Day sale, the ecommerce platform has landed in legal trouble alongside Meta, inviting hefty fines in India. The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has observed

that Flipkart and Facebook have compromised national security, along with choking consumer interests by selling walkie talkie online without any disclosures related to licensing, approvals, and frequency compliance. Due to this, both firms have incurred a fine of Rs 10,00,000.In two separate orders issues on January 1 and January 14, the coram of Chief Commissioner Nidhi Khare and Commissioner Anupam Mishra said that these listings have serious implications on national security and violation of consumers' right to be informed under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019. This has resulted in misleading ads and unfair trade practices. Scams On WhatsApp And Telegram Are On Rise, Man Loses Rs 51,00,000 In An Online Fraud: All DetailsThe CCPA mentioned in both orders, 'In light of the nature of the violations detailed in the foregoing paragraphs, it is necessary that the opposite party is directed to pay a penalty of Rs 10, 00,000/- for indulging in misleading advertisement and unfair trade practice.'Both companies have directed to ensure that no walkie talkies or any product that needs statutory approval or certification is listed, advertised, sold, or hosted on those platforms. Furthermore, the authority has also ordered periodic self-audits so that such violations of law via 'deceptive listings/hosting and advertisements' are away from being common.

Why This Happened In India?

So, walkie talkies are not banned in India, but yes, most of the cheap walkie talkies available online are illegal to sell or use in the country because they operate on radio frequencies, and that requires government approval or licensing. Most of these cheap options use restricted frequencies, don't have the necessary approvals, and more, which is why the government has flagged them under national security alert.