Centre Rolls Out Portal For CCPA To Curb Violation Of Advertising Norms

The government has launched a dedicated portal for the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) to curb persistent violations of advertising guidelines and will serve as a platform to “name and shame” violators.

Mint reported this development first.

CCPA, which reports to the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, also introduced an e-court facility for State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commissions (SCDRC) in Chandigarh, Punjab, Haryana, Maharashtra and Delhi. 

The e-court will facilitate easy e-filing of complaints by consumers for the speedy and hassle-free resolution of their complaints.

“The website will enable swift and hassle-free filing of complaints by the consumers on class action basis and allow them to choose nature of case, description of the complaint, upload relevant documents/videos and track the progress of their complaint online,” the report said, citing a government statement. 

The new website will make it easy to access CCPA advisories, guidelines, and orders that protect consumer rights. Its launch comes almost four years after the inception of the CCPA in July 2020.

The CCPA was established under the Consumer Protection Act of 2019 to oversee issues related to consumer rights violations, unfair trade practices, and false advertising.

“The creation of a dedicated portal for complaint registration is undoubtedly going to benefit consumers. Increased consumer awareness may also bring to light smaller violations previously ignored by people,” Manish K Shubhay, partner at The Precept-Law Offices told Mint.

The CCPA has managed to partially curb misleading advertisements, including those from well-known entities. However, violations of its guidelines persist. India has recently strengthened its consumer protection regime by replacing the outdated Consumer Protection Act of 1986 with the modernised Consumer Protection Act of 2019, adapting to the challenges posed by globalization, technology, and ecommerce.

Meanwhile, earlier this month, the CCPA issued an advisory cautioning celebrities and influencers against endorsing illegal activities, particularly in light of the growing number of betting and gambling advertisements.