Flipkart, Zomato, 24 other ecom platforms declare themselves free from ‘dark patterns’

As India's online shopping market grows at an unprecedented pace, concerns about deceptive digital design have also increased. In order to protect online consumers, major platforms including Flipkart, Myntra, Swiggy, Zomato, Zepto, Meesho, BigBasket, MakeMyTrip and Ajio are among the 26 e-commerce companies that have now declared themselves free of "dark patterns" after completing government-mandated self-audits.

This includes patterns such as hidden charges, fake urgency messages, trick wording, forced actions or complicated cancellation processes, etc.

The declarations come under the 2023 guidelines introduced to curb manipulative user interfaces that mislead or pressure consumers into unintended actions.

According to the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, each of these companies has submitted a self-declaration to the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA), confirming that they have conducted internal or third-party audits of their websites and apps.

The ministry said, "The proactive industry-wide compliance demonstrates a strong commitment towards consumer transparency, fair trade practices and ethical digital ecosystems."

"This voluntary alignment underscores the fact that consumer protection and business growth can go hand-in-hand, strengthening brand trust and long-term credibility," it said.

"Dark patterns" refer to deceptive design practices that manipulate user behaviour, often pushing customers into buying products, subscribing to services or sharing personal information without fully informed consent.

The 2023 guidelines list 13 banned practices, including basket sneaking, confirm shaming, drip pricing and subscription traps.

Rising consumer complaints and growing digital reliance prompted the CCPA to issue an advisory in June 2025, directing all e-commerce platforms to complete a self-audit within three months and publicly display their compliance status.

Despite the declarations, authorities emphasise that monitoring will continue.

The CCPA has said it was closely watching platforms that had not yet submitted audits and would act against companies found violating the guidelines.