Amazon has been fined ₹1 lakh by the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) for publishing manipulative advertisements that listed regular sweets as 'Shri Ram Mandir Ayodhya Prasad.' The CCPA found that Amazon profited over ₹25 lakh from these misleadingly labeled products, exploiting consumer religious sentiments and engaging in deceptive trade practices. The Confederation of All India Traders had filed a complaint highlighting the exploitation of customers for monetary gain. The CCPA rejected Amazon's defense that it acted solely as a marketplace, emphasizing its responsibility for publishing the misleading advertisements and stating that such commercial appropriation without authorization is an affront to religious sentiments. Amazon has been ordered to prevent future listings of unauthorized religious offerings and to display complete seller information on its platform.

Amazon has been fined ₹1 lakh by the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) for publishing manipulative advertisements that listed regular sweets as 'Shri Ram Mandir Ayodhya Prasad.' The CCPA found that Amazon profited over ₹25 lakh from these misleadingly labeled products, exploiting consumer religious sentiments and engaging in deceptive trade practices. The Confederation of All India Traders had filed a complaint highlighting the exploitation of customers for monetary gain. The CCPA rejected Amazon's defense that it acted solely as a marketplace, emphasizing its responsibility for publishing the misleading advertisements and stating that such commercial appropriation without authorization is an affront to religious sentiments. Amazon has been ordered to prevent future listings of unauthorized religious offerings and to display complete seller information on its platform.

Amazon has been fined ₹1 lakh by the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) for publishing manipulative advertisements that listed regular sweets as 'Shri Ram Mandir Ayodhya Prasad.' The CCPA found that Amazon profited over ₹25 lakh from these misleadingly labeled products, exploiting consumer religious sentiments and engaging in deceptive trade practices. The Confederation of All India Traders had filed a complaint highlighting the exploitation of customers for monetary gain. The CCPA rejected Amazon's defense that it acted solely as a marketplace, emphasizing its responsibility for publishing the misleading advertisements and stating that such commercial appropriation without authorization is an affront to religious sentiments. Amazon has been ordered to prevent future listings of unauthorized religious offerings and to display complete seller information on its platform.

The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has slapped a ₹1 lakh fine on the e-commerce platform Amazon for publishing manipulative advertisements that permitted the listing and sale of regular sweets under the label of “Shri Ram Mandir Ayodhya Prasad.”

Chief Commissioner Nidhi Khare and Commissioner Anupam Mishra passed the order on August 4, noting that the sweets company earned over ₹25 lakh by selling these sweets.

The complaint was filed by the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) with the CCPA in January 2024. The complaint mentioned dishonest trade practices by listing commercially produced sweets on its website under the misleading label. The traders' body claimed that customers were being exploited for monetary gain.

According to Bar and Bench, the CCPA noted that devotees would typically consider the phrase “Shri Ram Mandir Ayodhya Prasad” to be sacred food offered to and blessed by the deity at the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. It alleged that the products under scrutiny were being marketed as exclusive offerings from the temple.

The misleading products included Raghupati Ghee Ladoo Khoya Khobi Ladoo, Ghee Bundi Ladoo and Desi Cow Milk Peda. It was also highlighted that the products used religious imagery and slogans referring to the deity. Even the ingredient column on all the products declared it as just “Ram Mandir Prasad.”

The CCPA said that it had issued a show-cause notice to Amazon three days before the Ram Mandir inauguration on January 19, 2024, flagging consumer vulnerability.

The regulatory authority added that Amazon cannot claim that it was “unaware” of the sensitivity surrounding the product’s labelling with “Shri Ram Mandir” during this period, highlighting that the company was equipped with automated monitoring systems.

"The commercial appropriation of this phrase for ordinary confectionery products, without any authorisation from the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, constitutes not just a misleading trade practice under the CP Act but an affront to the religious sentiments of crores of consumers,” it said.

Defending itself, Amazon said that it took down the disputed products from its website. The platform also claimed that it just acted as a marketplace and played no role in listing, pricing, describing, or selling products.

However, the CCPA said it cannot claim safe harbour protection available to intermediaries under Section 79 of the IT Act, as it was responsible for the publication of misleading advertisements related to the product listing.

Therefore, the e-commerce seller was ordered to ensure that no product falsely claiming to be a religious offering associated with religious institutions is available or advertised on the website without proof of authorisation.

Amazon was further ordered to display the complete details of the seller, including the name, address, customer care number, and grievance officer information on the platform.