India, Oct. 4 -- India's consumer affairs minister Pralhad Joshi recently announced action against e-commerce platforms that charge extra fees for cash-on-delivery (COD), a practice now under official scrutiny for allegedly misleading consumers.

The action follows the union minister's response to a viral social media post that exposed such charges, sparking public outrage and a broader discussion on what is being described as "dark patterns."

These extra charges are often hidden behind vague names such as "payment handling" or "offer handling", users have alleged.

Earlier this week, a post on the social media platform X went viral, citing a user's concern about an additional Rs.226 COD charge on an e-commerce order from Flipkart.

The ...