26 top apps in India remove dark patterns after govt push, says CCPA
Twenty six leading e commerce platforms have told the CCPA they have removed dark patterns from their apps after running internal or third party audits. The declarations follow India's strict guidelines against misleading digital design.
New Delhi: The push to clean up India’s digital marketplaces took a major turn this week. Twenty six prominent e commerce platforms have filed official self audit declarations stating that their apps and websites no longer use dark patterns.
The Central Consumer Protection Authority confirmed the filings and said these platforms had either run internal audits or hired third party teams to examine their interfaces. The declarations were uploaded publicly, as directed by the authority. The CCPA described the move as an example for the rest of the industry.
What are dark patterns?
Dark patterns are design tricks that influence people into taking actions they did not plan. These tricks appear in many forms. Some platforms add items to a cart without clear consent. Others use nagging pop ups, fake urgency timers, forced permissions or hidden unsubscribe routes. India’s official dark pattern guidelines notified in November 2023 list 13 such practices that platforms are not allowed to use.
From a cybersecurity point of view, dark patterns sit in a grey area. They are not malware, but they quietly tilt power toward the platform and away from the user. Many users cannot even explain what went wrong. They only feel manipulated or confused during checkout.
Where do you see dark patterns often?
These design tricks usually appear in high traffic sections of apps. Examples include
- Payment pages
- Signup flows
- App permission prompts
- Subscription renewals
- Search result layouts
During festival sales, they tend to become more visible because platforms race to convert visitors into buyers. The CCPA’s June 2025 advisory asked all platforms to run mandatory audits within three months. This seems to have pushed many companies to fix their interfaces.
The companies that filed compliance declarations
The list covers a wide mix of sectors including groceries, fashion, travel, beauty, medicines and food delivery. A few names stand out because of their scale in India’s digital economy.
| Platform | Audit Type | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Flipkart | Third party | Declared dark pattern free |
| Myntra | Third party | Compliant |
| Swiggy | Self audit | Compliant |
| Zomato | Internal assessment | Compliant |
| BigBasket | Internal review | Issues resolved |
| MakeMyTrip | Declaration filed | Explicit consent required |
| Cleartrip | Third party | No dark patterns |
| Ajio | Internal review | Compliant |
| Blinkit | Internal review | Transparent UI |
| Meesho | Self audit | Free of all 13 patterns |
Other platforms like JioMart, Tata 1mg, Curaprox, Hamleys, Ixigo, Netmeds and Reliance owned brands have also submitted declarations. The full list, published on the CCPA website, includes 26 companies.
Why the government is pushing these checks
The Consumer Protection Act gives the CCPA authority to act against misleading digital design. The guidelines notified in 2023 said platforms must provide clear disclosures, clean consent flows and non manipulative interfaces. In simple terms, the user must not be tricked into buying or agreeing to something without understanding it.
The CCPA said manipulative interfaces are a short lived tactic. They may boost a platform’s numbers, but they damage user trust in the long run. The authority also said it will continue to track violations and take enforcement action when needed.
Public awareness
Along with audits, the government has been using the National Consumer Helpline, social media awareness posts and outreach videos to help users identify dark patterns. These education efforts matter because a large section of Indian internet users are new online shoppers. Without clear guidance, it is easy for them to fall for forced actions or disguised ads.