The government has tightened consumer protection norms for e-commerce platforms, introducing stricter requirements covering discount claims, sponsored listings, search results, dark patterns, data use and grievance redressal. The Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) (Amendment) Rules, 2026, notified by the Department of Consumer Affairs, will come into force from January 1, 2027.
Under the amended rules, e-commerce entities announcing a price reduction will have to clearly display both the reduced price and the “prior price”. The prior price will be the lowest price at which the product was offered during the 30 days preceding the announcement of the discount. The measure is aimed at curbing practices in which prices are raised before sales and subsequently presented as steeply discounted.
Sponsored listings must be identified
The amended framework prohibits e-commerce entities from manipulating search results in ways that mislead consumers or compromise the relevance of results to their search queries. Sponsored listings will have to carry clear and prominent disclosures so that users can distinguish paid placements from organic search results.
Platforms will also have to comply with the Guidelines for Prevention and Regulation of Dark Patterns, 2023. E-commerce entities will be required to conduct an annual self-audit and prominently display a certificate confirming compliance. Dark patterns generally refer to deceptive interface designs or practices that manipulate consumers into making choices they may not otherwise have made.
The changes come amid a sharp rise in consumer complaints linked to online commerce. The National Consumer Helpline received 17,71,622 grievances in 2025, of which 5,11,196 — around 29 per cent — were related to the e-commerce sector. Every e-commerce entity will now be required to join the NCH convergence process and provide complainants with a copy of the complaint as recorded by its grievance officer.
More disclosures for online shoppers
Marketplace e-commerce entities will have to disclose essential product and transaction information, including “best before” or “use before” dates and details relating to returns, refunds, warranties, delivery and payment. For imported products, platforms will have to provide the importer’s details as well as the country of origin.
The rules also strengthen safeguards around consumer data. Marketplace platforms will not be permitted to use consumer information for specified purposes without express and affirmative consent. They will also be barred from bundling fees for services unrelated to the e-commerce platform, except in the case of loyalty or membership programmes.
The government said the amendments seek to create a more transparent, accountable and consumer-centric e-commerce ecosystem while maintaining ease of doing business. The original Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules were notified in 2020 under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, to protect online shoppers from unfair trade practices.