2 days Ago
New Delhi: The consumer regulator has issued notices to major e-commerce platforms including Amazon, Flipkart, Meesho, OLX, Facebook and IndiaMart for allowing the illegal sale of walkie-talkies operating in licensed frequency bands without mandatory regulatory disclosures. The action by the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) comes as authorities grow increasingly alert to the potential misuse of unregulated wireless communication devices amid heightened India-Pakistan tensions. The CCPA issued 13 notices, the consumer affairs ministry said on Friday.
It pointed out that these platforms hosted hundreds of listings of walkie-talkies that had failed to disclose their operating frequency range, licensing obligations under the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885 and Wireless Telegraphy Act, 1933, or certification details such as Equipment Type Approval (ETA) from the Wireless Planning and Coordination (WPC) Wing. Such omissions not only violate the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 and E-Commerce Rules, 2020, but also mislead consumers into believing that these devices can be freely operated by the general public, said Nidhi Khare, secretary, department of consumer affairs. The Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020 mandate that online marketplaces must ensure all necessary information is made available to consumers upfront.
By allowing the sale of wireless devices without disclosing key regulatory details, these platforms have not only misled buyers but also violated their statutory responsibilities, as per the statement. “In times of heightened tension, the unregulated sale of wireless communication devices can pose serious risks. These devices, if operating on licensed frequencies, can interfere with critical communication systems or even be misused.
The law must be strictly enforced," said Khare. According to CCPA’s preliminary findings, the scale of such listings was widespread—with 467 listings on Amazon, 314 on Flipkart, 489 on Meesho, and 423 on TradeIndia. The CCPA has now sought complete details from the platforms, including seller identities, product URLs, certification documents, frequency specifications, and the number of units sold from January 2023 till date.
The Department of Consumer Affairs is preparing a set of draft guidelines titled Prevention and Regulation of Illegal Sale and Use of Licensed Frequency Range Wireless Telegraphy Apparatus, 2025. These are expected to be uploaded soon for public comments. The proposed rules will mandate seller verification, ETA certification, and require platforms to establish automated monitoring and takedown systems for unauthorized wireless device listings.
The draft has also been shared with the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Department of Telecommunications for their inputs, as per the statement. To underscore the seriousness of the matter, the Department held a stakeholder meeting on 3 May, chaired by Khare, where platforms were directed to carry out due diligence and proactively delist non-compliant sellers. As per the statement, continued negligence could invite penalties and potential platform liability.
“This isn't the first instance of regulatory pushback against online sales of potentially dangerous products. Last year, following an alert from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, CCPA forced the removal of over 13,000 listings of car seat belt alarm stopper clips from e-commerce platforms. But the current action, set against the backdrop of regional tensions, carries more serious implications," said Ashim Sanyal, CEO, Consumer Voice.
“Walkie-talkies operating in unauthorized bands could be used for covert communication, evade surveillance, or disrupt emergency services," said a former official of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India. “The CCPA’s intervention is both timely and necessary." “With cross-ministry coordination increasing and fresh compliance rules in the pipeline, the government is making it clear that the digital marketplace cannot remain a regulatory blind spot—especially when national security is at stake," said Manish K.
Shubhay, partner at The Precept-Law Offices..
