Fines on Amazon, Flipkart and Meta Highlight Rising Regulatory Risk for Digital Platforms

The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has taken decisive action against several major e-commerce platforms — including Meta Platforms (operating Facebook Marketplace), Amazon, Flipkart and Meesho — for listing and facilitating the sale of unauthorised walkie-talkies and similar radio communication devices in India, in violation of consumer protection and telecommunications regulations. This enforcement move, announced in mid-January 2026, underscores growing regulatory scrutiny of online marketplaces and the responsibilities they bear in policing the products offered on their platforms.

Background: What Prompted the CCPA Action

The CCPA launched the investigation on its own initiative (suo motu) after identifying thousands of product listings across major e-commerce marketplaces that appeared to violate India’s telecom and consumer protection laws. Between these platforms, regulators flagged over 16,970 listings of phones, walkie-talkies and Personal Mobile Radios (PMRs) that did not comply with statutory rules governing frequency use and regulatory approvals.

Under Indian regulations — specifically the Use of Low Power and Very Low Power Short Range Radio Frequency Devices (Exemption from Licensing Requirement) Rules, 2018 — walkie-talkie devices are permitted to operate only within a narrow frequency band (446.0–446.2 MHz) without a licence, and even such licence-exempt devices are required to have prior Equipment Type Approval (ETA) from the Wireless Planning and Coordination (WPC) Wing of the Department of Telecommunications. Listings that fail to disclose frequency compliance, licensing status or mandatory regulatory approvals effectively mislead consumers and may breach both consumer rights protections and telecom law.

Penalties Imposed: Who Was Fined and Why

In its final orders, the CCPA imposed monetary penalties totalling ₹44 lakh on eight entities found responsible for these violations:

• ₹10 lakh fines each on Meta Platforms (via Facebook Marketplace), Amazon, Flipkart and Meesho — all of which were deemed to have facilitated the sale of unauthorised walkie-talkies without appropriate disclosures or checks.

• ₹1 lakh fines each on four smaller entities — Chimiya, JioMart, Talk Pro and MaskMan Toys — for similar violations involving misleading product listings and unfair trade practices.

According to official statements, some companies — including Meesho, Meta, Chimiya, JioMart and Talk Pro — have already paid their penalties, while the outstanding fines from Amazon, Flipkart and a few others are still awaited.

Patterns of Regulatory Non-Compliance

Digging into the details of the violation patterns, regulators highlighted specific problems with how these devices were marketed:

• On Flipkart, for example, tens of thousands of units were sold where the frequency range was either undeclared or fell outside the licence-exempt band. Many listings conducted significant sales activity with missing or incomplete regulatory information.

• Amazon saw a smaller but material number of walkie-talkies sold between early 2023 and mid-2025, with several hundred listings lacking proper disclosure of licensing requirements or ETA certification.

• Meesho recorded important activity from a single seller with thousands of units listed without clear frequency specifications or proof of regulatory approvals.

• Facebook Marketplace listings, operated by Meta, were removed following regulatory notices, but regulators found that even after removal efforts some listings reappeared or did not initially have proper regulatory details.

  
  

In some cases, smaller platforms such as Talk Pro were cited for making explicit claims that devices were “100% legal” or “licence-free” despite operating on frequency bands outside permitted ranges — categorisations regulators said were demonstrably false and misleading to consumers.

Rejection of the “Intermediary Defence”

A central issue in the enforcement action was whether e-commerce platforms could argue they were mere intermediaries not responsible for the products sold by third-party sellers. Under Indian law, intermediaries can enjoy limited protection from liability — but only if they demonstrate due diligence and proper oversight mechanisms.

The CCPA clearly rejected this defence in its orders, holding that platforms facilitating the listing, hosting, discovery and promotion of regulated products cannot claim to be passive conduits where they have not put in adequate safeguards. It emphasized that intermediary protections are conditional on effective oversight, and that failure to ensure compliance with legal disclosure requirements places responsibility squarely on the platforms themselves.

New Regulatory Expectations and Guidelines

Alongside the fines, the CCPA issued broader guidance designed to prevent future breaches. The authority notified guidelines titled Prevention and Regulation of Illegal Listing and Sale of Radio Equipment Including Walkie-Talkies on E-Commerce Platforms, 2025, developed in consultation with the Department of Telecommunications and the Ministry of Home Affairs. These guidelines require:

• Clear verification of frequency compliance and ETA certification before any walkie-talkie listing is published.

• Full disclosure of applicable licensing requirements.

• Strict prohibition of misleading product descriptions or advertisements.

• Deployment of automated or human review mechanisms to block non-compliant listings.
  

Platforms have also been directed to perform regular self-audits, publish audit certificates for transparency, and strengthen internal compliance systems so that no radio equipment requiring approval is offered without due regulatory oversight and documentation.

Consumer Safety, Security and Market Implications

Regulators underscored that unauthorised radio communication devices could pose safety and security risks, particularly if they interfere with critical communication networks used by law enforcement, emergency responders and other public safety agencies. While the devices might appear innocuous to consumers, uncertified equipment operating on restricted spectrum bands can disrupt authorised communication channels, leading to broader public safety issues.

For consumers, the episode highlights the importance of understanding product legality and regulatory compliance — especially in highly technical categories like communication equipment. For e-commerce platforms, the fines signal that regulatory tolerance for non-compliance is narrowing, and that marketplace operators must adopt more robust controls to vet sellers and product information.