Norms for celebrity endorsements carry the weight of law: Rohit Kumar Singh

As a consumer protection authority, it has always been our endeavour to strike a balance between the ease of doing business and protecting the rights of consumers, says Rohit Kumar Singh, consumer affairs secretary, in an interview to Pratigya Yadav. Edited excerpts:

What are some of the major decisions taken by the Department of Consumer Affairs in the past one year?

The department has taken steps to safeguard consumers’ rights. With the help of the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), we have developed a framework for e-commerce platforms to address the issue of fake reviews. Recently we launched guidelines for misleading advertisements and celebrity endorsements to protect consumers from brands that make unsubstantiated claims. Other major decisions include the Right to Repair portal, implementing QR codes for mandatory disclosures on electronic products, displaying unit sale prices on pre-packaged commodities, and the time dissemination project. We have also increased the number of price-reporting centres from 179 to 461 to provide the accurate prices of 22 essential commodities to consumers.

What are the plans now?

We are focusing on initiatives to improve consumer prote­ction and promote respo­nsible business practices. One such major initiative is the development of a framework for a uniform common charging port to ensure consumers get access to standardised charging solutions. Another major priority is to establish artificial intelligence (AI) standards. We will continue to enhance consumer protection rules.

What are the standards for AI and machine learning on which the BIS is working on and when can we expect them?

A BIS technical committee comprising experts from Indian Institutes of Technology and the IT industry has developed AI standards on trustworthiness, concepts, terminology, and the governance implications. Work is on regarding the levels of specification and guidelines for AI applications. These standards will be in the public domain in less than six months.

The department has issued guidelines for celebrity endorsements and misleading advertisements. Some argue that these may not be very effective unless converted into stringent laws. Do you agree?

We take punitive action if there is any violation of laws or guidelines. The guidelines for celebrity endor­sements and misleading advert­isements carry the weight of law and are enforceable. Penalties for viola­tions may be imposed as defined in the Consumer Protection Act, 2019. I think the situation will change when the consumer is aware and when his or her buying behaviour is determined by the fairness of these platf­orms. As a consu­mer prot­ection authority, it has been our endeavour to strike a balance between the ease of doing business and protecting the rights of consumers.

Recently you said the department was working on some kind of technological advancements to strengthen the grievance redress mechanism. Can you elaborate?

We are working to modernise the grievance redress mechanism and bring it up to international standards. A key initiative is the national consumer helpline 1915, which now features a call-back request facility through SMS, and an automated feedback mechanism to monitor user experience. We get 100,000 compl­aints every month. The helpline will be opera­tional in 20 languages. The depar­tment is in the process of integ­rating it with WhatsApp. A chatbot has been developed and is undergoing a security audit to provide quick and efficient support to consumers.

What is your take on consumer protection in the future virtual world?

In the physical world, firms are regu­lated by the Consumer Prote­ction Act, 2019, which prevents unfair trade practices. However, in the metaverse, it may be har­der to enforce them because there is no central auth­ority to keep a check. We need to develop a strong system to address such issues.