India fines Meta and Flipkart (PHOTO: X)
India’s Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) hit Flipkart and Meta with fines of Rs 10 lakh each for letting people buy walkie-talkies on their platforms without any clear info about the legal rules or licenses needed.
According to the CCPA, both Flipkart and Meta allowed sellers to list telecom equipment stuff that’s actually regulated without telling buyers what the law requires.
They left out details like the device’s frequency range, the need for a wireless operating license, and whether the equipment had mandatory Type Approval (ETA) certification.
So, what’s the law here? Basically, the Indian Wireless Telegraphy Act of 1933 controls who can own and use walkie-talkies. The Wireless Planning and Coordination (WPC) Wing, under the Ministry of Communications, enforces it.
Most walkie-talkies need a license. The only exception is Personal Mobile Radios (PMR), and even then, they’re only legal if they work in the tiny 446.0 to 446.2 MHz band. These are low-power gadgets meant for short-range use—think hotel staff, small events, or casual personal use.
The CCPA pointed out that neither Flipkart nor Meta’s Facebook Marketplace gave buyers this information. Because of that, people didn’t get their legal right to know if these products were safe or even legal.
Flipkart tried to dodge responsibility by saying it just provides the platform and that sellers should handle compliance. The CCPA didn’t buy it. They said platforms themselves have to make sure regulated products meet all legal disclosure requirements.
Meta got the same treatment. The CCPA said Facebook Marketplace let walkie-talkies be listed without giving buyers the crucial regulatory details, like frequency ranges or license info.
Meta claimed it had removed several listings after being warned and pointed to its internal monitoring tools. The CCPA wasn’t impressed, calling Meta’s response “reactive and inadequate.”
They said a company as big as Meta needs to take real steps to prevent illegal listings in the first place, not just clean up after they get caught.
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