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The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has taken decisive action against multiple e-commerce platforms by imposing a collective penalty of ₹44 lakh for the unauthorised listing and sale of walkie-talkies and other Personal Mobile Radios (PMRs) that violated India’s consumer protection and telecom laws. The move underscores the government’s intensifying scrutiny of regulated products sold online and the accountability of major digital marketplaces.
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What Triggered the Fines?
Acting on a suo motu investigation, the CCPA found that numerous e-commerce websites were facilitating the sale of PMRs without statutory approvals or required disclosures about licensing and frequency compliance. These devices are subject to regulation under both the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 and relevant telecom norms, including rules governing radio frequency use and equipment type approvals.
The regulator flagged more than 16,970 non-compliant listings across various digital marketplaces where walkie-talkies were sold without mandatory certifications or clear frequency information. Many products were marketed as “license-free” despite operating on restricted frequency bands that require prior government authorisation.
Platforms Penalised and Scale of Violations
Consumer Affairs Secretary Nidhi Khare confirmed that the CCPA issued final orders imposing penalties totalling ₹44 lakh on eight entities. Among them:
- ₹10 lakh fines each were levied on Amazon, Flipkart, Meta Platforms Inc. (which operates Facebook Marketplace) and Meesho.
- ₹1 lakh fines each were imposed on smaller platforms including Chimiya, JioMart, Talk Pro, and MaskMan Toys.
Khare noted that Meesho, Meta, Chimiya, JioMart, and Talk Pro have already paid their respective penalties, while payment from the remaining platforms is still awaited.
Nature of Violations
Under Indian telecom regulations, walkie-talkies and other PMRs may operate without a licence only within a narrow frequency band of 446.0 MHz to 446.2 MHz — and even then only after obtaining Equipment Type Approval (ETA) from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT).
The CCPA found that many listings:
- Operated outside the licence-exempt band, making them subject to stricter approvals.
- Lacked ETA certification from authorised bodies.
- Failed to disclose licensing requirements or frequency information to buyers.
In some cases, listings actively misled consumers by claiming the devices were “100 % legal” or license-free, despite contravening regulatory norms.
Intermediary Defence Rejected
Several platforms attempted to defend themselves by claiming they were merely neutral intermediaries that simply hosted third-party listings. However, the CCPA rejected this argument, emphasising that marketplaces that facilitate discovery, promotion, and sale of regulated products cannot escape accountability if they fail to exercise due diligence and enforce compliance.
The authority clarified that intermediary protections under law apply only when effective due diligence mechanisms are in place to ensure compliance with statutory norms — including appropriate certification and consumer disclosures.
National Security and Consumer Safety Concerns
The CCPA’s action was not merely procedural. Regulators highlighted the national security and public safety risks posed by unauthorised walkie-talkies, which can potentially interfere with critical communication networks used by law enforcement, disaster response teams, and emergency services.
Such interference can disrupt coordinated operations and jeopardise public safety, making regulatory compliance essential not just for consumer protection but for broader law and order imperatives.
New Guidelines to Strengthen Compliance
To curb future violations, the CCPA has notified new guidelines for 2025 aimed at preventing the illegal listing and sale of radio equipment on digital platforms. These guidelines — developed in consultation with the Department of Telecommunications and the Ministry of Home Affairs — include:
- Mandatory pre-listing checks for frequency compliance and ETA certification.
- Clear disclosures on licensing requirements on product pages.
- Prohibition of misleading advertisements regarding legality.
- Deployment of automated monitoring tools to flag and remove non-compliant listings.
About the author – Rehan Khan is a law student and legal journalist with a keen interest in cybercrime, digital fraud, and emerging technology laws. He writes on the intersection of law, cybersecurity, and online safety, focusing on developments that impact individuals and institutions in India.
