The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has fined ANI Technologies Pvt Ltd, which runs Ola, ₹10 lakh over misleading advance tipping prompts shown to passengers while they wait for drivers to accept ride requests. The regulator says the feature effectively pressured users to pay extra before a ride is confirmed, ordering Ola to remove such prompts and comply within 15 days.
Outlets describe how the prompts encouraged additional payments to improve the chances of getting a ride sooner. The CCPA’s order also concludes the practice amounts to misleading advertising and other consumer protection violations, and identifies the interface as a prohibited dark pattern under the CCPA’s dark-pattern guidelines.
While reporting focuses on the same core finding and penalty, coverage varies in how much it details the feature’s operation, such as the range of tip amounts and how Ola argued the payments were voluntary and went to drivers without deductions. Some summaries foreground the CCPA’s characterisation of the conduct, while others add context about the complaint and the company’s response.
