CCPA Slaps ₹44 Lakh Fine on E-commerce Giants for Illegal Walkie-Talkie Sales

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AuthorAarav Shah|Published at:
CCPA Slaps ₹44 Lakh Fine on E-commerce Giants for Illegal Walkie-Talkie Sales
Overview

India's consumer watchdog, CCPA, has fined eight e-commerce platforms a total of ₹44 lakh for selling unapproved walkie-talkies violating telecom and consumer protection laws. Major players including Flipkart, Amazon, and Meesho face ₹10 lakh penalties for listing devices outside licensed bands and lacking essential certifications. The authority also issued new guidelines to prevent future non-compliance.

Regulatory Crackdown on E-commerce

The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has levied fines totaling approximately ₹44 lakh against eight e-commerce platforms for the unauthorized sale of walkie-talkies. This action stems from violations of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, and pertinent telecom regulations, specifically concerning the listing and sale of personal mobile radios (PMRs) operating outside licensed frequency bands and without mandatory equipment type approval (ETA) certifications.

Major Platforms Penalised

Leading online retailers Flipkart, Amazon, and Meta Platforms Inc (operating Facebook Marketplace), alongside Meesho, were each fined ₹10 lakh. These penalties were imposed for facilitating the sale of non-compliant devices. Additionally, Chimiya, JioMart, Talk Pro, and MaskMan Toys received fines of ₹1 lakh each for similar infringements, which included misleading advertisements and unfair trade practices.

Violations Detailed

The CCPA identified over 16,970 non-compliant product listings across various platforms. Investigations revealed that platforms were enabling the sale of PMRs outside the regulated 446.0-446.2 MHz band, often without disclosing licensing requirements or proper ETA certification. Flipkart alone reported sales of 65,931 units where frequency data was missing or incorrect. Amazon saw 2,602 units sold with similar compliance gaps, while Meesho recorded 2,209 units sold by a single vendor with inadequate disclosure.

New Guidelines Issued

To preempt future violations, the CCPA has notified the Guidelines for the Prevention and Regulation of Illegal Listing and Sale of Radio Equipment including Walkie-Talkies on E-Commerce Platforms, 2025. These guidelines were developed in consultation with the Department of Telecommunications and the Ministry of Home Affairs. The authority stressed that intermediary protections are conditional on effective due diligence and do not shield platforms from liability when facilitating the listing of products without mandatory statutory disclosures.

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