Dark Patterns Exposed: Are Dark Patterns The Biggest Threat To Consumers? | The Big Question (Video)

The Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, acting through the Department of Consumer Affairs, has notified the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) (Amendment) Rules, 2026, vide Notification No. CG-DL-E-10092026-276125, published in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part II, Section 3, Sub-section (i), dated 9 September 2026.

On September 9, 2026, the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution (Department of Consumer Affairs) notified the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) (Amendment) Rules, 2026 (“Amendment Rules”), amending the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020 (“E-Commerce Rules”). The Amendment Rules will come into force on January 1, 2027.

The visual interface of ecommerce platforms increasingly influences how consumers select, purchase, subscribe to and cancel goods and services. Before the issuance of a framework specifically addressing dark patterns, the Consumer Protection Act 2019 (“Consumer Protection Act”) and the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules 2020 (“E-Commerce Rules”) already prohibited unfair trade practices in e-commerce.

The Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Amendment Rules, 2026 introduce significant compliance obligations for e-commerce platforms, particularly regarding the disclosure of Country of Origin and other product information. This article analyses the key amendments, their implications for manufacturers, importers, and online marketplaces, and the broader objectives of strengthening consumer protection in the digital marketplace.

India's food safety regulator has introduced new labelling amendments that simplify compliance for infant nutrition products and small packages while strengthening traceability requirements for non-retail containers. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court is pushing for front-of-pack warning labels on products high in fat, sugar, and salt, raising critical questions about implementation thresholds, consumer accessibility, and the balance between public health and industry concerns.

On 9 September 2026, the Department of Consumer Affairs, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, notified the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) (Amendment) Rules, 2026 (2026 Amendment), amending the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules 2020 (E-Commerce Rules).

The Department of Consumer Affairs, Government of India, has amended the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020 through the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) (Amendment) Rules, 2026, with the objective of strengthening consumer protection while facilitating a transparent and balanced regulatory framework for the e-commerce sector.

India's Food Safety and Standards Authority intensified enforcement in August 2026, targeting major food and beverage companies over "100%" purity claims, energy drink labeling, and packaging compliance. The regulatory actions against Dabur, ITC, Diageo, and over 150 other companies reveal how product names, packaging, and advertising copy are now treated as interconnected consumer protection issues requiring coordinated legal review.

India's Supreme Court is examining the food regulator's proposed front-of-pack labelling framework for packaged foods, which would require red hexagonal warnings on products exceeding specified levels of sugar, salt and fat. The Court has raised critical questions about nutrient thresholds, label design, implementation timelines and practical implications for food businesses, while the final requirements remain subject to judicial determination and subsequent regulatory process.

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (“FSSAI”) has, over the course of late May 2025, taken two connected regulatory steps aimed at curbing misleading claims on packaged food labels. First, FSSAI issued a formal advisory to all Food Business Operators (“FBOs”) directing them to discontinue the use of the term “100%” on food labels, packaging, and promotional material. Second, and consistent with the concerns underlying that advisory, FSSAI issued a detailed notice to a confectionery company in India, flagging specific instances of non-compliant labelling and misleading claims across several of its product lines.

The IRDAI (Insurance Products) Regulations, 2024 ("Product Regulations"), were issued to facilitate the development of innovative insurance products and offer a swift response to the evolving market demands.

The Maharashtra Stamp (Amendment) Act, 2025 ("Amendment Act"), enacted on April 1, 2025, introduces several key changes to the Maharashtra Stamp Act, 1958 ("Maharashtra Stamp Act").

NGT has registered a suo-motu original application in response to a news article titled 'People Are Breathing In CancerCausing Chemicals in their cars study find' appearing in NDTV.com dated May 8, 2024.

Aggrieved by the order of the trial court, the Respondent/original Plaintiff filed a revision petition before the High Court of Madras...

A two judge bench of the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India (“Supreme Court”) in S. Valliammai and Ors. vs. S. Ramanathan and Anr. recently held that Order II Rule 2, Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 (“CPC”) cannot constitute a ground for rejection of plaint under Order VII Rule 11(d) of the CPC. The Supreme Court drew a critical distinction between the two provisions clarifying that while Order II Rule 2 curtails the right to sue for certain claims or reliefs, but it does not bar filing of a suit under Order VII Rule 11(d) of the CPC.

The Government of Tamil Nadu ("GoTN") had passed an amendment act i.e., the Indian Stamp (Tamil Nadu Amendment) Act, 2023 ("Amendment Act")...

In the recent case of Mukesh vs. The State of Madhya Pradesh and Anr., the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India adjudicated on the issue of whether compromise decrees that assert pre-existing rights necessitate registration under the Registration Act, 1908 and are subject to stamp duty under the Indian Stamp Act of 1899.

The Lok Sabha (lower house of the Parliament) on Tuesday (December 16, 2025) and the Rajya Sabha (upper house of the Parliament) on Wednesday (December 17, 2025) cleared the much-anticipated landmark insurance reforms bill i.e., The Sabka Bima Sabki Raksha (Amendment of Insurance Laws) Bill, 2025 (the "Bill").

On May 8, 2026, the Ministry of Labour and Employment notified the Model Standing Orders, 2026 (“Model Standing Orders 2026”) under Section 29(1) of the Industrial Relations Code, 2020 (“IR Code”). The notification supersedes the earlier Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Central Rules, 1946 insofar as they related to model standing orders, and prescribes separate model standing orders for the mining, manufacturing and services sectors.

In a landmark ruling, the Supreme Court of India ("Supreme Court") in K. Gopi vs. Sub-Registrar and Ors.1 held Rule 55A(i) of the Tamil Nadu Registration Rules, 1949 ("Registration Rules") ultra vires...