In order to eradicate dishonest design strategies and increase customer confidence, India requires self-audits for all online merchants.

The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA), in an effort to safeguard consumer interests in the expanding digital marketplace, has mandated that all e-commerce platforms perform self-audits within three months in order to find and remove "dark patterns"—deceptive design practices that cause users to take unintended actions.

All online shops must assess their platforms to remove interface designs that limit customer choice or amount to unfair trade practices, the Ministry of Customer Affairs declared on Saturday. False urgent signals, unstated fees at the register, subscription traps, and ads masquerading as authentic information are a few examples of these dark patterns.

According to the ministry, within three months of the advisory's release, all e-commerce platforms are required to conduct self-audits to identify any dark patterns and take the necessary steps to ensure that their platforms are free of them.

Platforms are urged to provide self-declarations confirming compliance after the checks. Such proactive statements, according to the CCPA, will improve openness, boost consumer confidence, and promote a more just online economy.

Although the authority has previously sent notifications to a number of platforms that were discovered to be in violation of the dark pattern standards, it has chosen not to identify the businesses. The government's 2023 recommendations, which explicitly include 13 dishonest acts, such as basket smuggling, confirm shaming, forced actions, bait-and-switch tactics, interface tampering, and drip pricing are in accordance with the crackdown.

The government has established a Joint Working Group with members from national law institutions, consumer advocacy groups, regulatory agencies, and other ministries to further monitor compliance and raise awareness. This team is responsible for spotting infractions and suggesting instructional programs to reduce the occurrence of dark patterns.

The action is a component of a larger government plan to guarantee fair trade standards in the quickly growing e-commerce industry. Authorities are working to strengthen consumer rights and make platforms responsible for ethical design standards as digital commerce takes over Indian consumers' lives.