Centre Amends E-Commerce Rules to Curb Dark Patterns and Misleading Discounts

The Department of Consumer Affairs under the Government of India has notified the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) (Amendment) Rules, 2026, aimed at strengthening consumer rights and promoting digital marketplace transparency. Effective from January 1, 2027, the amended framework addresses major online shopping concerns, including dark patterns, deceptive price cuts, and biased search listings, while maintaining a balanced environment for business growth. Under the new regulations, e-commerce platforms must explicitly partner with the National Consumer Helpline (NCH) to streamline dispute resolution. In 2025 alone, over 5.11 lakh grievances reported to NCH were linked to the e-commerce sector. Additionally, platforms are strictly prohibited from manipulating search algorithms to mislead buyers or distort search relevance. Sponsored listings must carry clear, prominent tags to distinguish paid promotions from organic recommendations. To prevent artificial discount claims, online sellers announcing price cuts will be required to disclose the product's lowest price offered in the preceding 30 days alongside the sale price. E-commerce entities must also provide buyers with recorded copies of their formal complaints and undergo annual audits to verify compliance against dark patterns. These measures aim to restore consumer confidence in India's rapidly expanding digital retail landscape.