New Delhi:In a move to tighten norms on price transparency and manipulations that mislead customers, the central government on Thursday amended the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020. It also said that it would monitor the sponsored listings, search result manipulation and dark patterns in the e-commerce ecosystem in the country.
The move comes amid a significant volume of complaints received by the government related to e-commerce. It said that National Consumer Helpline (NCH) has received 17,71,622 grievances in 2025, of which 5,11,196, or around 29 per cent, were related to the e-commerce sector. The amended rules are aimed at creating a more transparent and accountable e-commerce ecosystem, while maintaining a balance between consumer protection and ease of doing business. The new provisions will come into force from January 1 next year.
As per the department of consumer affairs, the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) (Amendment) Rules, 2026, will come into force from January 1 next year. “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 department said in a statement
The department further said that e-commerce entities will also be required to comply with the guidelines for prevention and regulation of dark patterns of 2023 and undertake a yearly self-audit and display a certificate of compliance. “The amended rules mandate every e-commerce entity to become a partner in the convergence process of the NCH,” it said.
The department, however, has warned that 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 bar e-commerce entities from manipulating search results that mislead users or affect the relevance of results to a search query. Besides, sponsored listings will have to be identified through clear and prominent disclosures,” the department added.
The new 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 amendments were aimed at building a transparent, accountable and consumer-centric e-commerce ecosystem while ensuring ease of doing business,” the department said.
