Dark patterns cost Indian online shoppers Rs 28,000 cr a year, Datum study finds
Datum Intelligence pegs annual consumer loss at Rs 25,000-28,000 crore across 304 million online buyers, with 88% affected and 63% hit by hidden charges. Flipkart, Cleartrip and BigBasket flagged on harm severity; Amazon ranked most trusted across 12 platforms studied.
What happened
Multi-platform · Datum Intelligence report estimates Indian consumers lose Rs 25,000-28,000 crore annually to dark patterns across e-commerce, quick commerce
Key facts
- Rs 25,000-28,000 crore annual loss
- 304 million online buyers
- 88% affected
- Rs 78-87 per month per user
- 63% face hidden charges (up from 52% in 2024)
- 73% platforms use forced actions
- 12 platforms analysed
- 2,590 consumers across 50 cities
- 81% aware, 85% misled
- 74% willing to pay more for fair design
Why this matters
Watch for regulatory tightening that could devalue acquisition targets reliant on opaque pricing mechanics—diligence checklists should now include dark-pattern exposure and remediation cost.