The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has imposed a penalty of Rs 1 lakh on budget airline SpiceJet for deploying deceptive "dark patterns" on its flight booking platform and directed the carrier to permanently discontinue default-consent practices that influence consumer decisions.
According to a press release, consumers were enrolled in the Spice Club Loyalty Programme automatically. In addition, consumers were also treated as having agreed to receive promotional messages because the default option.
"Consumer choice must be informed, not manipulated. The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has imposed a penalty on SpiceJet airlines for deploying deceptive 'dark patterns' on its flight booking platform and directed the airline to permanently discontinue default-consent practices. The action reinforces that consumer consent must always be explicit, informed and freely given," Union Consumer Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said.
Consumer choice must be informed, not manipulated.
— Pralhad Joshi (@JoshiPralhad) July 17, 2026
The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has imposed a penalty on SpiceJet airlines for deploying deceptive "dark patterns" on its flight booking platform and directed the airline to permanently discontinue… pic.twitter.com/4WNtTP8cfA
According to the regulator, the airline was found to have used interface designs that nudged customers towards choices they may not have actively selected during the booking process.
The authority said such practices undermine consumer autonomy by obtaining consent through default settings rather than through a clear and affirmative choice by users.
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As part of its directions, the CCPA has ordered SpiceJet to permanently discontinue all default-consent practices on its platform and ensure that consumer choices are obtained only through explicit, informed and affirmative consent mechanisms.
The regulator also directed the airline to maintain continued compliance with consumer protection laws and ensure that its booking interfaces do not employ misleading design practices.
The action comes amid increasing regulatory scrutiny of "dark patterns" — user interface designs that manipulate or influence consumer behaviour through pre-ticked boxes, hidden options, misleading layouts or other techniques that make it difficult for users to make independent choices.
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