Dark patterns cost Indian shoppers up to Rs 28,000 cr a year; Flipkart, Cleartrip flagged

Datum Intelligence pegs annual consumer loss to online dark patterns at Rs 25,000-28,000 crore, hitting 88% of 304 million buyers. Hidden charges jumped to 63% from 52%. Amazon leads trust at 50%; Flipkart skews negative (41% distrust vs 37% trust); Cleartrip and BigBasket flagged for severity.

— Filed Tue, 9 Jun, 2026, 16:21 IST · Source The Hindu BusinessLine · Updated

Datum Intelligence report estimates Indian consumers lose Rs 25,000-28,000 crore yearly to dark patterns across e-commerce, quick commerce and travel platforms. Amazon ranked most trusted; Flipkart, Cleartrip and BigBasket flagged for high harm severity.