TRAI has introduced the Telecom Commercial Communication Customer Preference (Third Amendment) Regulations, 2026. Businesses using automated (A2P) calls must pre-declare them to their telecom provider; commercial messages on the basis of a customer’s inquiry are allowed only for seven days; and action against a sender can start at three complaints in ten days if its number is also flagged by AI.
The Central Consumer Protection Authority has imposed a ₹10 lakh penalty on Roppen Transportation Services Private Limited, which operates Rapido, for misleading advertisements, unfair trade practices, unfair contract and dark patterns. Prompts asking riders to add to the fare before a ride was confirmed were held to be “confirm shaming”, and the colour-coded price slider “interface interference”.
The Department of Consumer Affairs has amended the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020 through the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) (Amendment) Rules, 2026. Every e-commerce entity must join the National Consumer Helpline convergence process. New duties cover complaints, search results, sponsored listings, price reductions, dark patterns and seller disclosures. The Rules come into force on 1 January 2027.
The Central Consumer Protection Authority has imposed a ₹10 lakh penalty on Dial4Trade Technologies Private Limited for facilitating the online listing, advertising and sale of ammonium nitrate without the mandatory safeguards, and directed it to stop listing any substance classified as an explosive under the Explosives Act, 1884. Seven other platforms are under examination.
TRAI issued a Direction on 10 August 2026 on the use of 1601-series numbers for service and transactional calls by entities outside the BFSI sector and Government, which use the 1600 series. Phase I covers utilities and logistics and courier services. Telecom service providers are to complete onboarding within 90 days from the date of issue.
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