New Delhi, Aug 6 : The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has imposed penalties on nine digital platforms, including IndiGo, Zepto, Physics Wallah, BookMyShow, FirstCry and SpiceJet, for using deceptive online practices known as dark patterns that allegedly misled consumers during purchases and subscriptions.

The action was disclosed by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha, where the government said the regulator has stepped up enforcement efforts to protect consumers from manipulative online interfaces designed to influence purchasing decisions.

According to the ministry, the CCPA has taken action against companies found using various forms of dark patterns, including drip pricing, basket sneaking, confirm shaming, subscription traps and misleading prompts.

These tactics are aimed at nudging users toward decisions they may not have otherwise made.

The regulator has so far collected around Rs 20 lakh in penalties from companies found violating the guidelines.

In June 2025, the CCPA had directed e-commerce platforms to conduct self-audits and identify as well as remove dark patterns from their digital services.

Among the companies penalised, quick commerce platform Zepto Marketplace was fined Rs 7 lakh.

The regulator found that additional handling charges and membership fees were introduced during the checkout process after users had already viewed an initial price.

The CCPA classified the practice as drip pricing and basket sneaking. Following the regulator's intervention, Zepto discontinued the identified practices.

Edtech platform Physics Wallah was fined Rs 5 lakh after the regulator took suo motu cognisance of a pre-selected Rs 10 donation option linked to its PW Foundation.

The CCPA observed that users were shown emotionally persuasive messages encouraging them to retain the donation selection.

The regulator also objected to the company's requirement that users share personal information before accessing free courses. Physics Wallah has since paid the penalty and removed the practices in question.

The CCPA also intervened in the case of IndiGo, which was found using a form of confirm shaming on its mobile application.

The airline modified its user interface after the regulator objected to the opt-out message "No I will take risk." The wording has been replaced with the more neutral statement, "No, I will not add to the trip."

BookMyShow was directed to discontinue a pre-selected Rs 1 donation to its BookASmile initiative after the regulator classified it as basket sneaking.

Other entities penalised include FirstCry, which was fined Rs 2 lakh, coaching platform Anuj Jindal with a penalty of Rs 3 lakh, and PharmaEasy, McAfee and SpiceJet, each of which faced penalties of Rs 1 lakh.

/IANS