India: Implemented Guidelines for Prevention and Regulation of Dark Patterns, 2023

On 30 November 2023, the Central Consumer Protection Authority adopted the Guidelines for Prevention and Regulation of Dark Patterns. The guidelines address manipulation or alteration of consumer choices and apply to all natural and legal persons, particularly online platforms, sellers, and advertisers. The guidelines include a definition of dark patterns, describing them as “any practices or deceptive design pattern using user interface or user experience interactions on any platform that is designed to mislead or trick users to do something they originally did not intend or want to do”, and classify them as being against the interest of consumers. Furthermore, the guidelines list specific dark patterns, such as "false urgency", "subscription trap", "nagging", and others, and would prohibit their use by any person and online platforms. The guidelines entered into force on the day of their publication in the Official Gazette.