India's consumer protection authority has fined nine digital platforms a total of Rs 20 lakh for using "dark patterns" – deceptive website and app designs that manipulate users. The penalty was imposed under the Prevention and Regulation of Dark Patterns, 2023, which identifies 13 categories of such deceptive online practices. The platforms penalised include Zepto, BookMyShow, IndiGo and SpiceJet, according to reports. The remaining five platforms were not named. Dark patterns are design elements that trick users into taking actions they may not intend, such as hidden fees, difficult cancellations, or misleading prompts. The exact violations for each platform were not disclosed in the reports.