CCPA Fines PhysicsWallah and McAfee for Using ‘Dark Patterns’ That Misled Consumers

New Delhi, June 3: In a major crackdown on deceptive digital practices, the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has imposed penalties on education technology platform PhysicsWallah and cybersecurity firm McAfee Software India Pvt. Ltd. for employing “dark patterns” that allegedly manipulated consumer choices and compromised informed consent.

The consumer watchdog, headed by Chief Commissioner Nidhi Khare and Commissioner Anupam Mishra, fined PhysicsWallah ₹5 lakh and McAfee ₹1 lakh, while directing both companies to immediately discontinue the identified practices and ensure transparency across their digital platforms.

The action has been taken under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020, and the Guidelines for Prevention and Regulation of Dark Patterns, 2023.

PhysicsWallah Penalised for Pre-Selected Donations and Misleading ‘Free’ Courses

According to the CCPA, PhysicsWallah’s platform was found to be using interface designs that influenced users’ decisions without obtaining clear and explicit consent.

The authority observed that a ₹10 donation to the PW Foundation was automatically added during the checkout process through a pre-selected option. Consumers were also shown emotionally persuasive messages related to children’s education, healthcare, and marriage, encouraging them not to remove the donation.

In another finding, courses promoted as “free” could only be accessed after users provided personal information such as mobile numbers and email addresses. The regulator noted that the educational content remained identical across accounts, suggesting that mandatory data collection was not essential for accessing the courses.

The CCPA classified these practices as Basket Sneaking, Confirm Shaming, and Forced Action, stating that they interfered with consumers’ ability to make free and informed decisions.

The authority also expressed concern that a large portion of PhysicsWallah’s user base comprises students and minors, making such practices particularly sensitive from a consumer protection standpoint.

McAfee’s Subscription Renewal Interface Found Misleading

The regulator also scrutinised McAfee’s subscription renewal process and concluded that consumers were not provided with a neutral choice when deciding whether to continue their subscriptions.

Users reportedly encountered two prominently displayed options—“Renew Now” and “Accept Risk”—during the renewal process. The CCPA held that the phrase “Accept Risk” created the impression that consumers would be exposed to cybersecurity threats if they chose not to renew, thereby exerting psychological pressure on users.

The authority identified multiple dark patterns in the interface, including Confirm Shaming, Interface Interference, Trick Questions, and Forced Action.

According to the CCPA, subscription decisions should be made freely and without fear-based messaging or manipulative design elements. The regulator found that McAfee’s renewal interface amounted to an unfair trade practice designed to influence consumer behaviour.

Growing Crackdown on Dark Patterns

The CCPA’s latest orders form part of a broader effort to curb deceptive online practices. The Guidelines for Prevention and Regulation of Dark Patterns, 2023, identify 13 types of manipulative design techniques that are considered unfair trade practices.

In June 2025, the authority had also issued an advisory directing e-commerce platforms and digital service providers to conduct self-audits and eliminate dark patterns from their websites and applications.

Consumer rights experts have welcomed the latest action, viewing it as a strong signal that regulators are increasingly focused on ensuring transparency, fairness, and genuine consumer consent in India’s rapidly expanding digital economy.

The CCPA reiterated that consumer consent must always be explicit, informed, and free from manipulation, and warned that companies using deceptive interface designs could face regulatory action in the future.

Provisions Violated –PhysicsWallah

S.No.	Provision	Nature of Violation
	Section 2(9), Consumer Protection Act, 2019	Violation of consumer rights-impairment of free and informed decision-making
	Section 2(28), Consumer Protection Act, 2019	Misleading advertisement- ‘free courses’ without disclosing mandatory registration conditions
	Section 2(47), Consumer Protection Act, 2019	Unfair trade practice- basket sneaking, confirm shaming, forced action
	Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020	Rule 4(9): Automatic recording of consent through pre-ticked checkbox; Rule 4(3): Unfair trade practice
	Dark Patterns Guidelines, 2023	Basket Sneaking, Confirm Shaming, Forced Action

PhysicsWallah Limited has been directed to ensure that no dark patterns are deployed on any of its digital interfaces and pay a penalty of ₹5,00,000.

CCPA’s Observations

CCPA noted that consumers should be able to make subscription decisions freely and without fear-based messaging or misleading design elements.The Authority found that the renewal interface used deceptive practices that could influence consumer decisions and amount to unfair trade practices.

Provisions Violated- McAfee

S.No.	Provision	Nature of Violation
	Section 2(28), Consumer Protection Act, 2019	Misleading advertisement: fear-based representation regarding necessity and consequences of non-renewal
	Section 2(47), Consumer Protection Act, 2019	Unfair trade practice: deceptive and manipulative interface design promoting subscription renewals
	Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020	Rule 4(3): Unfair trade practice & Rule 4(9): Impaired explicit and affirmative consumer consent
	Dark Patterns Guidelines, 2023	Confirm Shaming, Interface Interference, Trick Question, Forced Action

McAfee Software India Private Limited has been directed to ensure that no dark patterns are employed on its platform, website, application or any other digital interface and pay a penalty of ₹1,00,000.