CCPA imposes ₹1 lakh penalty on SpiceJet for use of dark patterns on flight booking platform

The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA), led by Chief Commissioner Nidhi Khare and Commissioner Anupam Mishra, imposed a penalty of ₹1 lakh on SpiceJet Limited for employing deceptive design practices—‘dark patterns’—on its flight‑booking website. The Authority observed that consumers were automatically enrolled in the Spice Club Loyalty Programme via a pre‑ticked checkbox, were deemed to have consented to promotional messages by default, and were presented with confusing consent language. CCPA held that these practices violated the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, Rule 4(9) of the Consumer Protection (E‑Commerce) Rules, 2020, and the 2023 Guidelines for Prevention and Regulation of Dark Patterns, and ordered the airline to discontinue such practices permanently.