The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has imposed a penalty of Rs 1 lakh on SpiceJet after finding that the airline employed misleading online design techniques, commonly referred to as dark patterns, on its ticket booking platform.

According to the regulator, SpiceJet used three types of deceptive practices that could influence consumer choices without their explicit approval. These included automatically enrolling customers into the airline's SpiceClub loyalty programme through a pre-selected checkbox, setting the company's preferred options as the default selection, and using confusing consent wording that could mislead users.

The CCPA observed that customers were added to the loyalty programme without actively opting in. It also found that users were considered to have agreed to receive promotional messages because consent boxes had already been selected by default.

The authority noted that even after receiving a notice from the regulator, SpiceJet replaced the original consent mechanism with another pre-selected checkbox for receiving marketing messages via SMS, WhatsApp and email, instead of adopting an opt-in system.

During the proceedings, SpiceJet reportedly attributed the issue to a technical glitch. However, the regulator concluded that such practices compromise consumers' ability to make informed decisions and are inconsistent with fair and transparent business practices.

The CCPA held that these actions violated provisions of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, including those related to unfair trade practices, misleading representations and unfair contractual terms.

In its order, the watchdog emphasised that consumer consent must always be voluntary, informed and clearly expressed. It stated that consent obtained through pre-ticked boxes, default settings or interface designs that influence user behaviour cannot be treated as valid.

The authority also directed the airline to permanently discontinue such default-consent mechanisms, reiterating its commitment to protecting consumer rights in the digital marketplace.

Union Consumer Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi welcomed the action, stating that consumer choice should be based on informed decisions rather than manipulation. He said the order reinforces the principle that businesses must obtain explicit consent instead of relying on deceptive digital design practices.

Separately, SpiceJet recently secured Rs 150 crore from Indian Bank under the government's Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS). The funding forms the first instalment of a proposed Rs 500 crore financial assistance package for the airline.