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Time of India
a day ago
- Business
- Time of India
Guidelines against illegal sale of radio equipment to help improve mobile QoS: COAI
NEW DELHI: The recently notified guidelines against the prevention and regulation of illegal sales of radio equipment, including walkie-talkies, on e-commerce platforms will help improve mobile quality of services (QoS) and uphold consumer rights, telecom carriers said on Monday. With the guidelines being notified on May 27, 2025, the Department of Consumer Affairs (DoCA) said it aims to enforce penalties and platform liability in case of non-compliance, mandate verification of seller credentials and certification, introduce automated monitoring and takedown mechanisms for unauthorised listing, and drive consumer awareness through disclosures. 'We sincerely thank the Department of Consumer Affairs and the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) for recognising the gravity of the issue and responding with these decisive measures. We believe that this proactive step will go a long way in ensuring quality of service and upholding consumer rights,' said SP Kochhar, director-general of the Cellular Operators Association of India ( COAI ). The Delhi-based association represents telecom incumbents including Reliance Jio , Bharti Airtel , and Vodafone Idea (Vi). According to COAI, the guidelines also provide a much-needed regulatory response to the persistent challenge of illegal sale and misuse of unauthorised wireless devices, including mobile signal boosters and jammers. Telcos have particularly hailed Clause 4(i)(b) of the guidelines, which explicitly prohibits online platforms from allowing the listing or sale of mobile signal boosters and wireless jammers, recognising the widespread network disruptions and consumer grievances these unauthorised devices have caused. Notably, COAI has repeatedly raised concerns regarding the rampant and illegal sale of such devices on e-commerce platforms and their unauthorised installation in residential and commercial establishments, which have been found to cause significant degradation in network quality and consumer experience across licensed telecom networks.
Time of India
4 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Centre releases guidelines to prevent illegal sales of walkie-talkies on e-commerce platforms
NEW DELHI: The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) on Friday notified the guidelines to prevent the illegal listing and sale of radio equipment, including walkie-talkies, in India via e-commerce platforms. The 'Prevention and Regulation of Illegal Listing and Sale of Radio Equipment including Walkie Talkies on E-Commerce Platforms, 2025' guidelines have been framed after interministerial consultations between the Department of Consumer Affairs (DoCA), the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), and the Department of Telecommunications (DoT). 'These guidelines aim to prevent unauthorized sale, distribution, and use of wireless telegraphy apparatuses including walkie-talkies on e-commerce platforms, ensuring compliance with national telecommunications and security regulations,' the CCPA said. The stoppage of illegal sales of such equipment has been a long-standing demand of the telecom carriers and the broader industry. With the guidelines in place, the DoCA said it aims to enforce penalties and platform liability in case of non-compliance, mandate verification of seller credentials and certification, introduce automated monitoring and takedown mechanisms for unauthorised listing, and drive consumer awareness through disclosures. This comes following the sale of walkie-talkies on e-commerce platforms without mandatory and clear disclosures, including whether a wireless operating license is needed. The omission of details such as frequency range, licensing obligations under the Indian Telegraph Act , 1885, or the Wireless Telegraphy Act, 1933, and the Use of Low Power, Very Low Power Short Range Radio Frequency Devices (Exemption from Licensing Requirement) Rules, 2018 and the potential legal consequences of unauthorised use, misleads consumers into believing that the devices are freely operable. However, the guidelines stipulate that only authorised and compliant walkie-talkie devices operating on permitted frequencies are listed for sale on online platforms, and the product listing will have to specify frequency ranges and other technical parameters and include proof of regulatory approval (equipment type approval). 'Sellers should ensure that equipment listed for sale does not operate on frequencies which are not exempted from requirement of frequency assignment and authorization by DoT and ensure that the frequency bands on product description are clearly labelled,' the CCPA said in its guidelines. The authority, earlier in May, issued 13 notices against 16,970 product listings to leading digital marketplaces against the listing and sale of walkie-talkies on e-commerce platforms without proper frequency disclosure, licensing information, or Equipment Type Approval (ETA), which were in violation of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.
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Business Standard
6 days ago
- Business
- Business Standard
Govt tells e-commerce firms to audit dark patterns, submit yearly reports
The government has asked e-commerce platforms to conduct annual internal audits on dark patterns and submit their disclosure reports to the Department of Consumer Affairs (DoCA), Pralhad Joshi, Minister of Consumer Affairs, said on Wednesday after meeting with more than 50 e-commerce platforms on the issue. The Ministry will also constitute a joint working group with stakeholders to examine the use of dark patterns, Joshi said after the meeting. 'These are deliberate actions by platforms, and the usage is not happening on a small scale. We have asked platforms for full compliance with issued guidelines, and to also ensure that no third-party merchants on their platforms use these patterns that can make a consumer feel trapped,' he said. In the meeting with representatives from several e-commerce platforms, executives were sensitised to the use of dark patterns—practices or deceptive design patterns that mislead or trick users, essentially subverting or impairing their autonomy. This comes as part of the Ministry's broader crackdown on the rampant use of such patterns. The government had notified guidelines for the prevention and regulation of dark patterns in 2023. Since the issuance of these guidelines, the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has sent 11 notices to companies across sectors such as pharmaceuticals and ticketing platforms. Of these, four were issued to cab aggregators like Uber, Ola, and Rapido over their 'advance tip' feature. DoCA had identified 13 commonly used dark patterns on e-commerce websites and mobile apps, including false urgency, basket sneaking, subscription traps, and nagging. Describing these as 'unfair trade practices that violate consumer rights,' the government has been working towards creating a transparent and fair digital marketplace where consumers can make informed decisions without being misled or coerced. Dark patterns are defined as practices or deceptive design mechanisms using UI/UX (user interface/user experience) interactions on any platform. They are designed to mislead or trick users into taking actions they did not originally intend. The Ministry of Consumer Affairs has been working to eliminate the use of such patterns by e-commerce platforms and online portals. Last year, the government notified guidelines to prevent the usage of dark patterns, including specific examples like 'basket sneaking' and 'confirm shaming'. Basket sneaking refers to the inclusion of additional items—such as products, services, or donations—at the time of checkout from a platform without the user's consent. Confirm shaming refers to the use of phrases, videos, audio, or other means to create a sense of fear, shame, ridicule, or guilt in the mind of the user, nudging them to act in a way that results in purchasing a product or service. In December last year, the department launched three apps—Jago Grahak Jago, Jagriti, and the Jagriti Dashboard—to enhance the CCPA's ability to take suo motu action against dark patterns.
