The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) on Friday said that it had issued notices to as many as 13 leading digital marketplaces for illegally listing and selling walkie-talkies on their platforms.
The government watchdog said that amid rising India-Pakistan tensions, e-commerce giants including Amazon, Flipkart, Meesho, OLX, TradeIndia, Facebook, Indiamart, VardaanMart, Jiomart, Krishnamart, Chimiya, Talk Pro Walie Talkie and MaskMan toys were selling ‘non-compliant wireless devices’. “The sale of non-compliant wireless devices not only breaches statutory obligations but may also pose significant risks to national security operations,” said Union Food and Consumer Minister Pralhad Joshi in a social media post.
The crackdown focuses on the sale of walkie-talkies without proper frequency disclosure, licensing information, or Equipment Type Approval (ETA), constituting a violation of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019. These violations contravene multiple legal frameworks, including the Consumer Protection Act, Indian Telegraph Act, and Wireless Telegraphy Act, he said.
Joshi also said the CCPA will issue formal guidelines under Section 18(2)(l) of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, aimed at strengthening compliance and consumer safeguards in digital marketplaces.
Meanwhile, the sellers have been directed to adhere strictly to all applicable regulatory standards to uphold consumer rights and prevent unlawful trade practices, he added.
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