8 in 10 mobile subscribers face dark patterns in telecom sector; bait-and-switch, nagging top complaints: Survey

India's rapidly expanding telecom sector is facing growing consumer trust concerns, with more than eight in 10 mobile subscribers reporting exposure to deceptive "dark patterns" while using telecom services, according to a nationwide LocalCircles survey. The findings come as the country's 5G subscriber base continues to expand and digital consumption surges, underscoring the need for stronger consumer protection in the sector.

The survey, which received over 74,000 responses from mobile users across 341 districts, found that 81% of respondents had encountered at least one dark pattern while interacting with telecom operators. LocalCircles has called on the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) and the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) to strengthen enforcement, arguing that existing guidelines have done little to curb such practices.

Bait-and-switch, nagging top consumer complaints

Bait-and-switch emerged as the most common grievance, with 79% of respondents saying telecom operators advertised recharge plans or offers with specific prices or benefits that were either unavailable at the time of purchase or replaced with costlier alternatives. Close behind was "nagging", reported by 78% of users who said they were repeatedly bombarded with notifications, pop-ups and messages urging them to recharge, upgrade plans or install applications despite dismissing previous prompts.

The survey also found that 59% of respondents experienced drip pricing, where the final amount charged exceeded the advertised price because of undisclosed processing or convenience fees. Another 53% reported subscription traps, where services sold as one-time purchases were converted into recurring paid subscriptions, while half of the respondents encountered forced action, requiring them to purchase additional services or share unnecessary personal information to complete transactions.

Complaints span Jio, Airtel and Vodafone Idea

According to LocalCircles, consumers reported dark patterns across the platforms of Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea. The complaints ranged from recharge plans offering lower benefits than advertised and hidden changes to plan features to recurring subscription charges and difficulties in cancelling promotional offers. The report also cited Airtel's decision to restrict hotspot usage on certain "Unlimited 5G" plans as an example of a forced-action dark pattern.

LocalCircles urges stricter regulatory action

"While the CCPA guidelines aim to discourage dark patterns and raise consumer awareness, this is not enough," LocalCircles said, urging TRAI to mandate the removal of dark patterns across telecom platforms.

The community platform said the CCPA should also begin active enforcement in the telecom sector, noting that "not a single notice has been issued in two years despite all three private operators' platforms being riddled with dark patterns." It added that the findings would be escalated to both TRAI and CCPA to support policy intervention and bridge the growing consumer trust gap in India's telecom industry.