New Delhi, Sept. 16 -- The Central Government is cracking the whip on e-commerce companies that use "dark patterns" and deceptive design tactics to manipulate consumers into unintended purchases or subscriptions.

The Consumer Affairs Secretary Nidhi Khare told news agency ANI that these practices will be treated as unfair trade and face legal scrutiny which can lead to strict action, including raids, against the violators of the guidelines set by the Department of Consumer Affairs.

Khare defined dark patterns as tactics such as using AI to create propaganda and misinformation, hiding negative reviews, false urgency alerts, subscription traps, and bait-and-switch pricing, among other such practices.

According to the official, the Depart...