Central Government amends existing regulatory framework to further strengthen e-commerce consumer protection

In brief

The Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution notified¹ the Consumer Protection (ECommerce) (Amendment) Rules, 2026 (Amended Rule), amending the existing 2020 regulatory framework. The Amended Rule imposes additional duties and obligations on e-commerce entities and marketplace platforms pertaining to transparency, dark-pattern governance and audits, consumer grievance redressal, pricing disclosures, marketplace data use and misleading practices.

The Amended Rule seeks to address the emerging consumer concerns in the digital marketplace and will come into force with effect from 1 January 2027.