Rapido fined ₹10 lakh by CCPA for using deceptive dark patterns

The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has imposed a ₹10 lakh penalty on Roppen Transportation Services Private Limited, the operator of the ride-hailing platform Rapido. The fine follows a sector-wide investigation into cab and bike-taxi aggregators regarding dynamic pricing and pre-ride tipping practices.

The CCPA identified the use of ‘dark patterns’ and ‘confirm shaming’ within the Rapido app. Investigators found that the platform used deceptive interface designs to pressure users into paying higher fares. Specifically, the app displayed prompts such as ‘Higher the price, higher the chance of getting a ride’ and suggested adding small increments like ₹10 or ₹20 because drivers were allegedly not accepting lower rates.

Additionally, the authority flagged the ‘Set Your Price’ feature for ‘interface interference.’ The slider was color-coded to influence decisions, appearing in green when increasing prices while using red or orange warnings when attempting to decrease them. The CCPA noted these tactics created a false sense of urgency and fear that a ride would not be secured unless the user paid more. While Rapido claimed tipping is voluntary and its matching system works without extra payments, the CCPA found no evidence to support the company's claims regarding increased ride probability through higher payments.