Finally some big companies are facing action for their sneaky online tricks . Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has fined PhysicsWallah and McAfee,and honestly,it was long overdue.
On June 3, 2026,the CCPA imposed a fine of ₹5 lakh on PhysicsWallah Limited and ₹1 lakh on McAfee Software India Private Limited . The reason? Using these so-called dark patterns to mislead people like us.
And let's talk about the PhysicsWallah case first because it's quite something . They were apparently using tactic where a ₹10 donation to their PW Foundation was automatically added to your cart during checkout . You had to manually uncheck it. That's not a donation,that's just tricking people.
And tbh,this is where it gets really shady . They were using all these emotional appeals about education and healthcare to make you feel bad about removing donation . That's just manipulation .
But it didn't stop there . The CCPA also found that courses they advertised as “free” were not really free . You had to hand over your personal information like mobile number and email address to get access . And turns out,the content was same for everyone,so they didn't even need your data for the course itself.
Few things standing out clearly in this case:
- PhysicsWallah fined ₹5 lakh — For using dark patterns that misled consumers.
- McAfee penalized ₹1 lakh — For misleading subscription renewal practices on its platform.
- Mandatory changes required — Both companies must eliminate deceptive practices and protect consumer rights.
And it's not just edtech . McAfee also got fined for their deceptive subscription renewal practices . We've all seen those confusing auto-renewal buttons and hidden terms .
The CCPA,led by Nidhi Khare and Anupam Mishra,made it clear that consumers should not face pressure when buying things . Both companies have been told to stop these practices immediately under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019. It’s good warning for others in the digital marketplace.
But you have to wonder how many other companies are doing same thing right now . This is a good step,but is it enough to actually change how these big platforms operate… or will they just find new ways to trick us…
