Indian Government to Launch Apps to Combat Dark Patterns in E-Commerce on National Consumers Day 2024
On December 24, 2024, the Department of Consumer Affairs will introduce three new apps—’Jago Grahak Jago App,’ ‘Jagriti App,’ and ‘Jagriti Dashboard’—to empower consumers and strengthen digital consumer protection. This initiative is part of the government’s ongoing efforts to curb unfair practices, such as dark patterns, used by e-commerce platforms. The apps, developed by students from IIT(BHU), will work as a real-time cyber-physical system powered by the Airawat AI Supercomputer.
The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) had previously identified 13 dark patterns, including false urgency, subscription traps, and disguised advertisements, in its 2023 guidelines. The CCPA has already acted against companies like IndiGo Airlines and BookMyShow for using deceptive design practices that mislead consumers. After intervention, these companies modified their platforms to ensure greater transparency and consumer consent.
The ‘Jago Grahak Jago App’ alerts users to potentially unsafe URLs, while the ‘Jagriti App’ allows consumers to report suspected dark patterns to the CCPA for redress. The ‘Jagriti Dashboard’ offers real-time analytics to help the CCPA identify and regulate dark patterns on e-commerce sites.
These tools aim to promote transparency, educate consumers on their rights, and encourage ethical design practices in the digital marketplace.