India’s client watchdog, the Central Client Safety Authority (CCPA), has imposed penalties totalling Rs 44 lakh on main ecommerce platforms and sellers for facilitating the unlawful sale of unauthorised walkie-talkies, citing violations of client safety and telecom laws.

In its remaining orders in opposition to eight entities, the CCPA fined Amazon, Flipkart, Meesho and Meta Platforms Inc. (Fb Market) Rs 10 lakh every. Smaller penalties of Rs 1 lakh every have been imposed on JioMart, Discuss Professional, Chimiya and MaskMan Toys.

Based on the authority, some platforms have already paid the penalties, whereas funds from others are pending.

The motion follows a suo motu investigation that recognized greater than 16,900 non-compliant listings of walkie-talkies throughout ecommerce platforms, together with Flipkart, Meesho, JioMart and Fb Market, together with a number of impartial sellers and web sites.

5 further issues involving Antriksh Applied sciences, IndiaMART, TradeIndia.com, Vardaanmart and Krishna Mart stay below investigation or are at varied phases of listening to.

The CCPA discovered that ecommerce platforms have been facilitating the sale of Private Cellular Radios (PMRs) working outdoors the licence-exempt frequency band, with out obligatory Tools Kind Approval (ETA) certification, and with out clear disclosures on licensing necessities.

A number of merchandise have been marketed as “licence-free”, “100% authorized” or positioned as toys, regardless of working on regulated ultra-high frequency (UHF) bands utilized by police, emergency providers and catastrophe response companies.

Below Indian laws, solely walkie-talkies working strictly inside the 446.0–446.2 MHz frequency band qualify for licence exemption. Even these gadgets require prior technical approval earlier than import or sale. Rule 5 of the Use of Low Energy and Very Low Energy Brief Vary Radio Frequency Units Guidelines, 2018 mandates that producers and sellers get hold of ETA certification earlier than providing such gadgets out there. Units bought outdoors these situations represent deceptive promoting and unfair commerce practices below the Client Safety Act, 2019, the authority stated.

The investigation uncovered large-scale violations throughout platforms. On Flipkart, greater than 65,900 models have been bought the place frequency particulars have been both lacking or fell outdoors the exempted vary, whereas one other 42,275 models disclosed compliant frequencies. Amazon recorded gross sales of two,602 models between January 2023 and Might 2025, with 467 listings missing correct frequency or certification disclosures.

Meesho noticed 2,209 models bought by a single vendor, with a number of listings lacking ETA or frequency data. JioMart bought 58 models over two years with out clearly disclosing licensing necessities. Fb Market delisted 710 listings following CCPA intervention however was discovered to have allowed repeated re-listing of regulated gadgets with out ample safeguards.

In its orders, the CCPA rejected the argument by platforms that they perform solely as intermediaries and are usually not accountable for third-party listings. The authority held that platforms enabling itemizing, internet hosting, discovery and promotion of regulated merchandise can’t be handled as passive conduits.

“Middleman protections are conditional upon the train of efficient due diligence and don’t prolong to conditions the place platforms allow merchandise to be listed or marketed with out obligatory statutory disclosures,” the authority stated.

Client Affairs Secretary Nidhi Khare advised PTI that penalties had been paid by Meesho, Meta, Chimiya, JioMart and Discuss Professional, whereas funds from the remaining platforms have been awaited.

The watchdog additionally flagged severe public security and nationwide safety dangers related to unauthorised radio communication gadgets. Such gear, it warned, can intrude with important communication networks utilized by legislation enforcement companies, catastrophe response authorities and emergency providers, probably disrupting important operations.

To strengthen compliance, the CCPA has notified the Prevention and Regulation of Unlawful Itemizing and Sale of Radio Tools together with Walkie-Talkies on E-Commerce Platforms Tips, 2025, in session with the Division of Telecommunications and the Ministry of Dwelling Affairs. These pointers mandate verification of frequency compliance and ETA certification earlier than itemizing, full disclosure of licensing necessities, prohibition of deceptive ads, and deployment of automated monitoring and takedown mechanisms.

The authority has additionally directed main ecommerce platforms to conduct self-audits, publish audit certificates on-line, and strengthen pre-listing compliance programs to make sure no radio gear requiring statutory approval is bought with out full authorized compliance.

The penalties comply with earlier enforcement actions. In Might 2025, the CCPA issued notices to 13 ecommerce entities, together with Amazon, Flipkart, Meesho, OLX, TradeIndia, Fb and IndiaMART, after a preliminary evaluation revealed tons of of unauthorised listings. Union client affairs minister Pralhad Joshi had then warned that the sale of non-compliant wi-fi gadgets may pose “vital dangers to nationwide safety operations”.

The CCPA reiterated that ecommerce platforms are required below the Client Safety (Ecommerce) Guidelines, 2020 to supply clear, pre-purchase data to allow knowledgeable client decision-making, notably when coping with regulated merchandise.