The dark pattern notification by the government will bring transparency in the e-commerce business and the interest of customers will also be protected, traders’ body CAIT has said .

Praveen Khandelwal, secretary-general of the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), said the notification by the Union consumer affairs ministry banning the use of “dark patterns” on e-commerce platforms “will curb the trend of e-commerce companies duping customers”.

This is being considered a major step forward in the continuous struggle by CAIT over the last four years against the arbitrary attitude of e-commerce companies.

He said the traders’ body had been complaining that the e-commerce firms were not only harassing traders through their misleading business models but were also harming the interests of the customers. It is important to stop these trade practices, he added.

He urged the government to immediately implement the e-commerce policy so that online trade can flourish in India and the responsibilities of the e-commerce portal are fixed.