New Delhi, Jan 16 (PTI) The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has initiated suo motu action against e-commerce platforms for listing and selling unauthorised walkie-talkies in violation of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 and telecom laws, issuing final orders against eight entities and imposing penalties totalling Rs 44 lakh.

Notices were issued to 13 e-commerce entities -- Chimiya, JioMart, Talk Pro, Meesho, MaskMan Toys, TradeIndia, Antriksh Technologies, Vardaanmart, IndiaMart, Meta Platforms Inc. (Facebook Marketplace), Flipkart, Krishna Mart, and Amazon, following the identification of over 16,970 non-compliant product listings across platforms.

The CCPA found that platforms were facilitating the sale of Personal Mobile Radios (PMRs) operating outside the license-exempt frequency band, without Equipment Type Approval (ETA) certification or proper disclosure of licensing requirements.

Penalties of Rs 10 lakh and Rs 1 lakh imposed The authority imposed penalties of Rs 10 lakh each on Meesho, Meta Platforms Inc. (Facebook Marketplace), Flipkart, and Amazon, and Rs 1 lakh each on Chimiya, JioMart, Talk Pro, and MaskMan Toys for violations of consumer rights, misleading advertisements, and unfair trade practices, Consumer Affairs Secretary Nidhi Khare told PTI.

Meesho, Meta, Chimiya, JioMart, and Talk Pro have paid their penalties. Payment from the remaining platforms is awaited, she added.

Under existing regulations, license exemption applies only to PMRs operating strictly in the 446.0-446.2 MHz band. Rule 5 of the Use of Low Power and Very Low Power Short Range Radio Frequency Devices Rules, 2018, mandates that manufacturers and sellers must obtain ETA before import, sale, or operation of such devices.

Major violations uncovered On Flipkart, 65,931 units were sold where the frequency range was either left blank or fell outside the exempted range. Another 42,275 units were sold with the correct frequency disclosed. Amazon saw 2,602 units sold between January 2023 and May 2025, with 467 product listings lacking proper frequency or certification details.

Meesho recorded sales of 2,209 units by a single seller alone, with numerous listings failing to disclose ETA certification or frequency specifications. JioMart sold 58 units over two years without clear licensing requirement disclosures, while Facebook Marketplace had 710 listings delisted following CCPA intervention.

In the case of Facebook Marketplace, the CCPA found walkie-talkies were listed without disclosure of licensing requirements, frequency specifications, or ETA/WPC certification.

Despite post-notice removals, the platform facilitated repeated listing of regulated devices without adequate preventive safeguards.

The authority held that platforms must exercise due diligence commensurate with their scale and technological capability, with 710 listings delisted following intervention.

Talk Pro (Iconet Services Pvt Ltd) was found listing devices operating across UHF 400-1200 MHz while falsely claiming they were "100 per cent legal" and "license-free." The platform also made misleading claims about operational ranges.

Chimiya was offering walkie-talkies operating in the UHF 400-470 MHz band, outside the permitted spectrum, imported from overseas without mandatory approvals.

Intermediary defence rejected Several platforms attempted to invoke intermediary status to disclaim responsibility for third-party listings. The CCPA rejected this defence, holding that platforms facilitating listing, hosting, discovery, and promotion of regulated products cannot be treated as passive conduits.

"Intermediary protections are conditional upon the exercise of effective due diligence and do not extend to situations where platforms permit products to be listed or advertised without mandatory statutory disclosures," the authority stated.

New guidelines notified To strengthen platform accountability, the CCPA has notified guidelines for the Prevention and Regulation of Illegal Listing and Sale of Radio Equipment including Walkie-Talkies on E-Commerce Platforms, 2025, in consultation with the Department of Telecommunications and Ministry of Home Affairs.

These mandate verification of frequency compliance, ETA certification prior to listing, full disclosure of licensing requirements, prohibition of misleading advertisements, and deployment of automated monitoring and takedown mechanisms.

Self-audits mandated The CCPA directed major e-commerce platforms to undertake self-audits to ensure such violations through deceptive listings are not prevalent, publish audit certificates online, and strengthen pre-listing compliance mechanisms to ensure no radio equipment requiring statutory approval is listed without full legal compliance.

Security concerns The CCPA warned that unauthorised radio communication devices can cause harmful interference with critical national communication networks, including those used by law enforcement, disaster response authorities, and emergency services.

"Such interference can disrupt essential operations and compromise communications vital to public order and national security," the authority said, adding that consumers rely heavily on online descriptions while shopping and the sale of non-compliant devices exposes them to regulatory risks.

Five matters involving Antriksh Technologies, IndiaMart, Tradeindia.com, Vardaanmart, and Krishna Mart remain at various stages of investigation or hearing. PTI LUX DR DR