The CCPA has fined Motion Education and Career Line Coaching Rs 10 lakh and Rs 5 lakh, respectively, over misleading JEE and NEET result advertisements. The regulator said the institutes used students’ names, photos and ranks in promotions while concealing key details about what programmes those students actually took. Investigators found many featured successes were enrolled in free online courses or test-series only, and some joined after exams ended. The orders were challenged at the NCDRC.
India’s digital lending boom is reshaping credit access as mobile apps disburse large loan volumes quickly, especially for younger borrowers and underserved regions. The same convenience is drawing tougher regulatory focus on transparency and consumer protection. Yet risks remain as the sector evolves, testing how fast growth can coexist with fair lending practices.
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The UK’s Immigration Advice Authority has rolled out a nationwide campaign to warn people looking for immigration help. It urges migrants to verify that any adviser is officially regulated before handing over documents or money. The effort targets fraud and confusion, using the slogan “Before you trust them, check them,” and points users to a free online Adviser Register.
India’s major digital gold platforms have formed a new self-regulatory organisation, DPMACI, aiming to tighten transparency and consumer protection. The council plans strict operational guardrails, mandating digital holdings be backed by physical metal in a 1:1 ratio, with periodic third-party audits. It also says it is building an ombudsman framework to resolve complaints within fixed timelines—amid ongoing regulatory scrutiny.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed a lawsuit against Netflix, accusing the streaming platform of spying on children and consumers. The state alleges Netflix collected user data without consent and misrepresented its data collection practices for years. Netflix is also accused of designing its service to be addictive, raising fresh regulatory scrutiny over platform behavior and privacy.
India’s digital precious metals industry has launched the Digital Precious Metals Assurance Council of India (DPMACI) to strengthen consumer protection and trust. Chaired by Nirupama Soundararajan, the self-regulatory body will set and enforce operational and governance standards, including 1:1 physical backing verification and insured vaulting, as digital gold and silver adoption accelerates.
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The Supreme Court ruled that electricity consumers are not liable for tariff charges tied to a power plant that has stopped supplying electricity. Restoring an earlier order against Tata Power Delhi Distribution Ltd., the court held that consumers should not be forced to bear costs of plants that are no longer operational. The decision is a major relief for power consumers facing legacy tariff claims.
MahaRERA has cracked down on builders behind more than 8,000 housing projects after many missed mandatory quarterly progress-report deadlines. The action spans projects across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region as the regulator issues show-cause notices. Developers get 60 days to respond and comply, failing which penalties could escalate up to project registration cancellation.
India’s new online gaming regulations take effect today under the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025. Real money games and betting-style apps are banned, while the new Online Gaming Authority of India tightens compliance. Players will face age checks, parental controls, and grievance systems. Esports and casual social games are still allowed.
Maharashtra’s Food and Drug Administration has directed restaurants to clearly state whether “paneer” is genuine or a substitute. Starting Thursday, eateries must disclose the cheese type on menus, bills, and display boards, while manufacturers and suppliers must label products accurately. Violations can trigger action under food safety laws aimed at preventing consumer deception.
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Since January 2023, India stopped using standard edible oil pack quantities, leaving consumers to navigate an uneven range of sizes. The result, according to SOPA, is confusion at the shelf and potential deception, as shoppers struggle to compare prices across brands with inconsistent labeling.
France’s consumer watchdog says 75% of products tested from online platforms failed EU safety rules. Inspectors flagged items as dangerous, including risks like electric shock and harmful chemical content, pointing to systemic non-compliance rather than isolated mistakes. The regulator will share findings with the European Commission for potential enforcement action against platforms.
The Bombay High Court ruled that health insurers cannot reject hospitalisation claims merely because the policyholder submitted them after the time limit stated in the contract. The court held that such clauses cannot be used to defeat legitimate claims, offering relief to customers facing claim denials over procedural delays in filing.
The FTC reports that social media scams triggered $2.1 billion in consumer losses in 2025, with losses rising eightfold. It says social media scams also produced the highest losses of any contact method used by scammers, underscoring how rapidly fraud is migrating to platforms where people share and trust strangers.
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A young entrepreneur says bank officials persuaded him to buy three non-market linked insurance policies claiming the proceeds were 100% tax-free. He paid around ₹22 lakh in premiums, but later learned that under new tax rules, plans with aggregate premiums above ₹5 lakh can make maturity proceeds taxable. The result: a feared loss of up to ₹15 lakh on surrender.
The Reserve Bank of India has released a draft proposal to strengthen the Prepaid Payment Instruments framework, aiming to support long-term growth. The plan focuses on enhanced transaction security, and more explicit guidelines for refunds and handling customer grievances. The RBI will consider public feedback until May 22, 2026, before finalizing the changes.
The Central Consumer Protection Authority has warned restaurants and hotels against automatically adding “LPG charges” or “gas surcharges” to customer bills. It has deemed such mandatory extras an unfair trade practice and said operational costs should be built into menu pricing. Consumers can ask for removal of these charges or file complaints if they appear on bills.
A Gujarat-based NGO is urging the government to regulate nutraceuticals such as health supplements under drug regulators, not food safety authorities. The group alleges uneven product quality and unregulated pricing, arguing the current framework leaves consumers exposed. If accepted, the proposal could bring tighter standards and more transparent costs for nutraceuticals nationwide.
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RBI rules require card issuers to complete credit card closure within seven working days. If they fail, they must pay a penalty of Rs 500 per calendar day of delay to the cardholder, until closure—assuming there is no outstanding balance. In one case, the compensation reached Rs 3.21 lakh, highlighting how quickly delays add up.
India has issued fresh guidelines aimed at curbing “dark patterns” used by brands and advertisers—tactics that nudge customers into unintended purchases or hide extra charges until it’s too late. The big question now is whether the rules will effectively change how firms design checkout flows and marketing prompts, or if smarter workarounds will follow.
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