Govt amends e-commerce rules to check price manipulation, dark patterns, fake sponsored listings

The government has amended the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020, to tighten norms on price transparency, sponsored listings, search result manipulation and dark patterns, the Department of Consumer Affairs said on Thursday.

The Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) (Amendment) Rules, 2026, will come into force from January 1, 2027, it said in a statement.

How will the amendments impact product price information?

Under the amended rules, e-commerce entities will have to disclose the reduced price and "prior price" whenever a price cut is announced. The prior price has been defined as the lowest price at which the product was offered in the 30 days before the discount was announced.

The rules bar e-commerce entities from manipulating search results that mislead users or affect the relevance of results to a search query.

Sponsored listings will have to be identified through clear and prominent disclosures, the statement said.

E-commerce entities will also be required to comply with the Guidelines for Prevention and Regulation of Dark Patterns, 2023, undertake a yearly self-audit and display a certificate of compliance, the department added.

The amended rules mandate every e-commerce entity to become a partner in the convergence process of the National Consumer Helpline (NCH).

The department said the NCH received 17,71,622 grievances in 2025, of which 5,11,196, or about 29 per cent, related to the e-commerce sector.

Every e-commerce entity will have to provide a complainant with a copy of the complaint as recorded by its grievance officer, the rules said.

Marketplace e-commerce entities will have to disclose key information such as best before or use before dates, and details on returns, refunds, warranty, delivery and payment, to help consumers make informed decisions, according to the rules.

For imported goods, the importer's details and country of origin will have to be disclosed, it said.

The rules also bar marketplace e-commerce entities from using consumer information for specified purposes without express and affirmative consent, and from collecting bundled fees for services unrelated to the e-commerce platform, except for loyalty or membership programmes.

The Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020, were notified under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, to protect consumers from unfair trade practices in e-commerce.

The department said the amendments were aimed at building a transparent, accountable and consumer-centric e-commerce ecosystem while ensuring ease of doing business