CCPA Fines SpiceJet ₹1 Lakh Over Dark Patterns
Consumer watchdog penalises airline for deceptive booking practices and pre-ticked consent options
- CCPA imposes ₹1 lakh penalty on SpiceJet.
- Airline found using dark patterns on booking platform.
- Pre-ticked checkboxes enrolled users without explicit consent.
- Authority says practices violate consumer protection laws.
GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 17th July: The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has imposed a penalty of ₹1 lakh on SpiceJet for adopting deceptive design practices, or “dark patterns”, on its flight booking platform in violation of consumer protection laws.
The consumer watchdog found that the airline automatically enrolled customers into its SpiceClub loyalty programme through pre-ticked checkboxes and treated them as having consented to receive promotional messages without obtaining explicit approval.
According to the CCPA, SpiceJet continued using pre-selected consent options for promotional communication through SMS, WhatsApp and email even after the authority issued a notice, although the airline attributed the issue to a technical error.
The Authority identified the practices as forced action, interface interference and trick questions, stating that they compromised consumer autonomy and informed decision-making.
CCPA held that the airline’s conduct violated the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, Rule 4(9) of the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020, and the Guidelines for Prevention and Regulation of Dark Patterns, 2023.
The Authority reiterated that consumer consent must be explicit, informed and obtained through affirmative action, adding that consent secured through pre-ticked checkboxes or default settings is invalid under the law.
