New Delhi, July 23 -- The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has issued an advisory directing e-commerce platforms to conduct self-audits and eliminate dark patterns from their services, Union Minister of State for Consumer Affairs B.L. Verma informed Parliament on Tuesday.

The minister addressed the Rajya Sabha during the ongoing session through a written reply regarding the government's efforts to address deceptive online practices.

Dark patterns refer to design elements and choice architecture deliberately employed to deceive, coerce, or manipulate consumers into making decisions that may not serve their best interests.

The CCPA, operating under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, released the advisory earlier this month as ...