Major E-commerce Giants Face Heavy Fines for Illegal Walkie-Talkie Sales
The Central Consumer Protection Authority has taken strong action against several prominent online shopping platforms. The regulatory body imposed substantial penalties totaling forty-four lakh rupees on eight e-commerce companies. These platforms faced fines for listing and selling unauthorized walkie-talkies that violated established telecom regulations and consumer protection laws.
Which Companies Received Penalties?
Consumer Affairs Secretary Nidhi Khare confirmed the penalties through an official statement. The authority levied fines of ten lakh rupees each against four major platforms. These included Meesho, Meta's Facebook Marketplace, Flipkart, and Amazon. Four additional companies received smaller penalties of one lakh rupees each. These were Chimiya, JioMart, Talk Pro, and MaskMan Toys.
The violations centered around multiple consumer protection issues. Platforms engaged in misleading advertisements and unfair trade practices. They also failed to protect basic consumer rights through proper product disclosures.
How Did the Investigation Begin?
The CCPA first issued notices to thirteen e-commerce platforms earlier this year. This action followed the discovery of more than sixteen thousand nine hundred seventy non-compliant product listings across these sites. Regulatory officials conducted thorough assessments of each platform's inventory.
Investigators determined that these e-commerce companies facilitated consumer purchases of Personal Mobile Radios. These devices operated outside the license-free frequency band without proper Equipment Type Approval. The platforms also failed to provide adequate information about licensing requirements to potential buyers.
Khare noted that several companies have already paid their penalties. Meesho, Meta, Chimiya, JioMart, and Talk Pro have settled their fines with the authority. Payments from the remaining platforms continue to be awaited as of the latest update.
Specific Violations by Platform
Each platform showed distinct patterns of violations during the investigation period:
- Flipkart sold sixty-five thousand nine hundred thirty-one units with either blank frequency information or frequencies outside the required range. An additional forty-two thousand two hundred seventy-five units displayed the correct frequency.
- Amazon sold two thousand six hundred two units between January 2023 and May 2025. The platform hosted four hundred sixty-seven product listings with inadequate frequency or certification information.
- Meesho recorded two thousand two hundred nine units from a single seller. Most sellers on the platform failed to provide ETA certification or proper frequency details.
- JioMart sold fifty-eight units over two years without clear licensing requirement disclosures.
- Facebook Marketplace had seven hundred ten listings removed following CCPA action. The platform listed walkie-talkies without licensing requirement information, frequency details, or proper certification.
Platform Defenses and Regulatory Response
Several platforms attempted to claim intermediary status during proceedings. They argued they should not bear responsibility for third-party listings on their marketplaces. The CCPA firmly rejected this defense in its ruling.
The authority stated that platforms assisting with listing, hosting, finding, and promoting regulated products cannot claim passive channel status. Intermediary protections remain conditional upon effective due diligence exercises. These protections do not extend to situations where platforms permit products to be listed without mandatory statutory disclosures.
In the case of Facebook Marketplace, investigators found the platform allowed repeated listing of regulated devices despite earlier notices. The company removed listings after receiving warnings but failed to implement proper safety measures to prevent recurrence.
Talk Pro, operated by Iconet Services Private Limited, faced particular scrutiny. The platform listed devices operating across the UHF band from 400 to 1200 MHz. These listings falsely claimed the devices were "100 percent legal" and "license-free" despite clear regulatory violations.
Why These Violations Matter
The CCPA emphasized the serious implications of unauthorized radio communication device sales. Such devices can cause harmful interference with critical national communication networks. These include systems used by law enforcement agencies, disaster response authorities, and emergency services.
"Such interference can disrupt essential operations and compromise communications vital to public order and national security," the authority warned in its statement. The regulatory body noted that consumers rely heavily on online descriptions while shopping. The sale of non-compliant devices exposes buyers to significant regulatory risks and potential legal consequences.
New Guidelines and Future Requirements
Following consultations with the Department of Telecommunications and the Ministry of Home Affairs, the CCPA published comprehensive new guidelines. These regulations aim to prevent illegal listing and sale of radio equipment on e-commerce platforms. The guidelines specifically address walkie-talkies and similar devices.
The new requirements include several key provisions:
- Platforms must clearly display frequency compliance information for all radio equipment
- Sellers must obtain Equipment Type Approval certification before listing products
- All licensing obligations must be fully disclosed to potential buyers
- Misleading advertisements about device legality are strictly prohibited
- Platforms must implement automated monitoring and removal systems for non-compliant listings
The CCPA directed major e-commerce platforms to conduct thorough self-audits. These audits should ensure misleading listings do not become common practice. Companies must publish audit certificates online for public verification. Platforms must also strengthen pre-listing compliance systems. These systems should guarantee that no radio equipment requiring legal approval gets listed without full regulatory compliance.
Ongoing Investigations
Five additional matters remain under active investigation or hearing stages. These involve Antriksh Technologies, IndiaMart, Tradeindia.com, Vardaanmart, and Krishna Mart. The CCPA continues to examine potential violations by these platforms as part of its broader regulatory enforcement efforts.
The authority stressed that platforms must exercise proper care based on their size and technological capabilities. With e-commerce growing rapidly in India, regulatory oversight becomes increasingly important for consumer protection and national security.
