Extracted Data Points

  • Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) imposed penalties on PhysicsWallah Ltd and McAfee Software India Pvt Ltd for using dark patterns
  • PhysicsWallah Ltd fined ₹5,00,000 (five lakh rupees)
  • McAfee Software India Pvt Ltd fined ₹1,00,000 (one lakh rupees)
  • Action taken under Consumer Protection Act 2019, Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules 2020, and Guidelines for Prevention and Regulation of Dark Patterns 2023
  • PhysicsWallah violations included: automatic addition of ₹10 donation to PW Foundation during checkout without explicit consumer consent, emotional messaging targeting children's education, healthcare and marriage to encourage maintaining selected donations, advertising courses as "free" but requiring personal information (mobile number, email address) for access
  • Identified dark patterns at PhysicsWallah: Basket Sneaking, Confirm Shaming, Forced Action
  • PhysicsWallah violated: Section 2(9) of Consumer Protection Act 2019 (impairing consumer's ability to make independent and informed decisions), Section 2(28) of Consumer Protection Act 2019 (misleading advertising by promoting 'free courses' without disclosing mandatory registration requirements), Section 2(47) of Consumer Protection Act 2019 (unfair trade practice), Rule 4(9) of Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules 2020 (automatic recording of consent through pre-ticked checkboxes), Rule 4(3) of Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules 2020 (unfair trade practice)
  • McAfee violations included: subscription renewal interface showing two prominent options - "Renew Now" and "Accept Risk", effectively portraying non-renewal as a risky decision, using phrase "Accept Risk" suggesting consumers would be exposed to cybersecurity threats if they chose not to renew subscription
  • Identified dark patterns at McAfee: Confirm Shaming, Interface Interference, Tricky Question, Forced Action
  • McAfee violated: Section 2(28) of Consumer Protection Act 2019 (misleading advertisement creating fear about consequences of non-renewal), Section 2(47) of Consumer Protection Act 2019 (unfair trade practice), Rule 4(3) of Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules 2020 (unfair trade practice), Rule 4(9) of Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules 2020 (impairing consumer's clear and positive consent)
  • Both companies directed to ensure no dark patterns are used on any digital interfaces
  • Guidelines for Prevention and Regulation of Dark Patterns were notified on 30 November 2023 after extensive stakeholder consultation
  • Guidelines identify 13 dark patterns considered unfair trade practices
  • CCPA issued an advisory on 5 June 2025 urging e-commerce companies and digital platforms to conduct self-audit and remove dark patterns from their interfaces
  • Final orders available at https://jagograhakjago.gov.in/CCPA_Orders/index.html

Relevant - Contains specific regulatory enforcement actions, financial penalties, and detailed violations of consumer protection regulations affecting digital commerce platforms.