New Delhi — India’s consumer protection regulator has fined SpiceJet Rs 1 lakh after finding that the airline’s booking website used preselected options to enroll passengers in its loyalty program and authorize promotional messages.
The Central Consumer Protection Authority said the booking system restricted customers’ ability to make a clear and informed choice by requiring them to deselect options rather than actively agree to them.
During the reservation process, passengers were automatically signed up for the SpiceClub Loyalty Program through a pre-checked box. A separate default selection treated customers as having agreed to receive marketing communications, according to the regulator.
The authority also found that SpiceJet continued using a similar method after receiving a regulatory notice. The airline replaced the original option with another pre-checked box authorizing future messages through text, WhatsApp and email.
“The CCPA, headed by Chief Commissioner Nidhi Khare and Commissioner Anupam Mishra, has imposed a penalty of Rs 1,00,000 on SpiceJet Limited for adopting deceptive design practices, commonly known as dark patterns, on its flight booking platform,” the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution said.
SpiceJet told the regulator that the problem resulted from a technical error. The airline was ordered to provide a formal assurance that the disputed settings had been corrected and would not be restored.
The CCPA concluded that the design practices interfered with consumer autonomy and made it harder for travelers to understand what they were agreeing to.
It ruled that SpiceJet’s conduct constituted unfair trade practices, unfair contractual terms and misleading representations under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019. (Source: IANS)
