Central The Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has issued extensive guidelines on Friday to crack down on illegal sale of radio equipment including walkie-talkie on e-commerce platforms. The purpose of these new guidelines is to ban the sale of walkie-talkie that does not have proper frequency disclosure, licensing information or equipment type approval (ETA). Selling walkie-talkie without ETA would be considered a direct violation of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.
Why were these guidelines necessary?
The CCPA has designed these guidelines after intensive inter-ministerial consultation with the Department of Telecommunications (DOT) and the Ministry of Home Affairs to ensure a coordinated approach. CCPA said in a statement, “It has been found that walkie-talkie on e-commerce platforms is being sold without any ‘wireless operating license’ requirement or clear information about compliance with applied laws.”
Consumers are misguided
Currently, the product listing for walkie-talkies often does not suggest whether the equipment requires license from the authorities concerned. Important details such as the Indian Telegraph Act 1885, Wireless Telegraphy Act 1933 and low power, very low power short range radio frequency devices (licensing requirement), 2018, such as frequencies and licensing liabilities, are often abandoned. CCPA said that in the absence of this information, consumers are misled by assuming that these devices can be used independently by the general public.
What is in the new guidelines?
It has been made mandatory under new guidelines:
- Only those walkie-talkie equipment should be available for sale on the online platform, which are authorized and compliant (ie, work on permissible frequencies).
- Frequency range and technical parameters should be clearly specified in the product list.
- Evidence of regulator approval through equipment type approval (ETA) should also be included.
- E-commerce institutions will have to follow the appropriate process and it will be necessary to verify regulator compliance.
CCPA issued notices
The CCPA had earlier also issued 13 notices to the major digital marketplace, taking action on the issue, which targeted 16,970 products on their platforms that led to proper frequency disclosure, licensing information or lack of ETA. CCPA has clarified that even after the notification of these new guidelines, e-commerce platforms will remain under continuous monitoring and investigation. This step is an important initiative towards protecting the interests of consumers and ensuring a safe and regulated environment for the sale of radio equipment in the country.
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