In an order issued to both platforms, the CCPA said that Flipkart and Meta allowed the listing of regulated telecom equipment without informing customers about the legal requirements to purchase the devices
India’s Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has slapped a fine of Rs 10 lakh each on Flipkart and Meta over the sale of walkie-talkies on their platforms in the absence of mandatory disclosures on licensing and regulatory compliance.
In an order issued to both platforms, the CCPA said that Flipkart and Meta allowed the listing of regulated telecom equipment without informing customers about the legal requirements to purchase the devices. These include the operating frequency range, the need for a wireless operating licence, and mandatory Equipment Type Approval (ETA) certification.
What are the regulations?
In India, the possession and use of walkie-talkies are strictly governed by the Indian Wireless Telegraphy Act of 1933. This regulation is enforced by the Wireless Planning and Coordination (WPC) Wing, a division of the Ministry of Communications that serves as the national radio regulatory authority.
Under current exemption guidelines, the only walkie-talkies you can legally use without a license are Personal Mobile Radios (PMR). However, these devices must operate exclusively within the narrow frequency band of 446.0 to 446.2 MHz. These license-free sets are typically low-power units designed for short-range communication in environments like hotels, small events, or personal outings.
What have the companies said?
Based on the regulations, the CCPA said neither Flipkart nor Meta’s Facebook Marketplace clearly mentioned these guidelines to buyers and therefore, consumers were deprived of their statutory right to be informed about the legality and safety of the products being sold.
Meanwhile, Flipkart said that, as it served merely as a platform for the sale of devices, the compliance obligations should be fulfilled by third-party sellers. The CCPA, however, rejected this defence, saying that independent platforms have the responsibility to ensure that regulated products are not sold without legally mandated disclosures.
In a landmark ruling, the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) reached a similar conclusion regarding Meta Platforms. The Authority determined that Facebook Marketplace had facilitated the listing of walkie-talkies without providing consumers with essential regulatory information, such as operating frequency ranges or licensing requirements.
While Meta argued that it had taken steps to delist several products following a show-cause notice and cited the use of internal automated monitoring tools, the CCPA dismissed these efforts. The regulator characterized Meta’s response as “reactive and inadequate,” noting that a platform of its scale must implement proactive measures to prevent such illegal listings rather than simply removing them after a violation is flagged.
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