Meta, Flipkart, Amazon fined for device listing rule breach

The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has penalised Flipkart, Meta Platforms, and Amazon with fines of ₹10 lakh each for allowing the sale and promotion of walkie-talkies on their platforms without mandatory regulatory disclosures and approvals, widening its crackdown on e-commerce marketplaces for violating consumer protection rules.

- Dhirendra Kumar

The three companies have been fined ₹10 lakh each.

(MINT)

The penalties follow similar action on Meesho, which was fined ₹10 lakh on 4 December for unauthorised walkie-talkie listings. Earlier, CCPA had imposed penalties of ₹1 lakh each on Reliance JioMart, Talk Pro (Iconet Services Pvt. Ltd), The MaskMan Toys and Chimiya for selling the devices without clearances.

In separate orders, reviewed by Mint, the authority found that Flipkart and Facebook Marketplace, operated by Meta, facilitated listings of walkie-talkies without adequately informing consumers about licensing requirements under the Indian Telegraph Act, spectrum and frequency restrictions, and the need for mandatory equipment type approval (ETA) from the wireless planning and coordination (WPC) wing of the department of telecommunications.

The order against Meta Platforms was issued on 1 January. Flipkart got it on 14 January.