Explore the Daily Current Affairs 24 November 2025, relevant for UPSC exam. Download quick REVISION NOTES from our telegram channel – https://t.me/CivilMentorIAS.
Dark Patterns in E-commerce
GS paper 2: Consumer protection (Consumer Protection Act, 2019), Labour rights, Governance, Ethics (algorithmic fairness). GS paper 3: Digital economy, E-commerce regulations, AI/algorithmic ethics.
Context: Central Consumer Protection Authority has obtained declarations from most major e-commerce platforms for elimination of “dark patterns” from their services. However, consumer groups and researchers say these still exist on many digital platforms
What are Dark Patterns?
Dark patterns are user-interface design strategies that deliberately manipulate online behavior, nudging users toward decisions that benefit platforms, often at the cost of user autonomy, privacy, or financial interests.
Regulatory provisions in India:
- Consumer Protection Act, 2019 classifies dark patterns as unfair trade practices.
- Guidelines for Prevention and Regulation of Dark Patterns, 2023 (released by the Department of Consumer Affairs):
- Identifies 13 types of dark patterns (e.g., stealth ads, forced action, subscription traps, false urgency).
- Applies to all advertisers, online platforms, and sellers.
Major concerns:
- Ethical Concerns: Violates user autonomy and consent and erodes trust in digital platforms.
- Economic: Unfair revenue extraction, distorts consumer decision-making, and hampers competition (locks users into services).
- Social: Loss of privacy, increases digital vulnerability, especially for elderly and low-literacy users as well as undermines digital literacy initiatives.
- Governance: Challenges for regulators – fast-changing digital environment.
Types/examples of Dark Patterns:
- Hidden Costs: Extra fees appear only at the end of a checkout process.
- Roach Motel: Easy to sign up; extremely difficult to cancel (e.g., hidden cancellation options).
- Confirmshaming: Guilt-tripping language to push users toward one choice. (“No, I don’t want to be healthier” buttons.)
- Forced Continuity: Free trials that automatically renew without clear reminders.
- Trick Questions: Confusing wording to get users to agree to something.
- Sneak into Basket: Automatically adding items to a cart unless the user opts out.
- Privacy Zuckering: Nudging users into sharing more data than they intend.
Prelims practice Question:
Q1. With reference to “dark patterns,” consider the following statements:
- They are manipulative user interface designs intended to influence users into actions they might not otherwise take.
- The Government of India has issued guidelines to curb dark patterns under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.
- Dark patterns can be used not only to manipulate consumers but also to influence gig workers’ decisions.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 1 and 3 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer: (d)
Mains practice Question:
Q1. “Dark patterns in digital platforms pose significant challenges to consumer protection and fair labour practices in India.” Examine in light of recent regulations and findings from gig economy research.
(15 marks, 250 words)
Source: The Hindu newspaper (Page 10)
Polymetallic nodules
GS paper 3: Science & Technology, Renewable Energy, Minerals & Resources, Environmental Conservation, Climate Technology.
Context: A new smelting process for polymetallic nodules has been that may reduce the carbon footprint of processing the mined nodules.
What are Polymetallic nodules?
Polymetallic nodules are potato-shaped mineral deposits found on the deep ocean floor, typically at depths of 4,000–6,000 metres. They form extremely slowly, just a few millimetres every million years, by the accumulation of metal oxides. They contain several critical minerals, including:
- Manganese (major component)
- Nickel
- Cobalt
- Copper
- Rare earth traces
These minerals are essential for batteries, EVs, electronics, renewable energy technologies, and high-tech industries.
Polymetallic nodules are abundant in:
- Clarion–Clipperton Zone (CCZ) in the Pacific Ocean
- Central Indian Ocean Basin (CIOB) – where India has exploration rights
- Parts of the South Pacific and Atlantic
Researchers have developed a hydrogen-based single-step smelting process with following features:
- Uses hydrogen instead of carbon as the reducing agent.
- Melts polymetallic nodules and separates oxygen from metal oxides in one go.
- Produces: Alloy rich in nickel, copper, cobalt, Manganese-rich byproducts usable in batteries
Benefits
• Significantly lower CO₂ emissions vs. traditional carbon-based smelting.
• Higher efficiency, less energy consumption.
• Supports clean energy transitions by providing critical minerals with reduced processing footprint.
Significance for India:
India’s Blue Economy and Deep Ocean Mission aim to explore seabed resources.
Critical minerals are essential for:
- EVs and battery storage
- Solar panels and wind turbines
- Defence technologies
A cleaner smelting process could strengthen India’s strategic autonomy by lowering carbon-intensive processing.
Prelims practice Question:
Q2. Which one of the following is a major environmental concern associated with the mining of polymetallic nodules?
(a) Acid rain formation
(b) Destruction of deep-sea ecosystems
(c) Increased salinity of ocean waters
(d) Rise in sea surface temperature
Answer: (b)
Cloudflare Outage & Internet Centralisation
GS paper 3: Technology & Cybersecurity. GS paper 2: Governance & Policy (Digital sovereignty, critical infrastructure).
Context: A major recent internet outage, traced to a technical issue in Cloudflare’s bot-management system, caused disruptions across numerous global online services. The incident has highlighted the degree of global dependence on a few key infrastructure providers like Cloudflare for DNS, CDN, and reverse proxy services.
Cloudflare: It is a US-based web infrastructure and security company that provides services to improve website performance, reliability, and security. It operates a global content delivery network (CDN) and reverse proxy services, along with DNS, DDoS mitigation, and bot management.
Key concepts:
| Function | Description |
| Reverse Proxy | Acts as a middleman between users and origin servers, routing traffic and filtering threats |
| Content Delivery Network (CDN) | Stores cached content closer to end-users for faster access |
| DNS Resolution | Translates domain names into IP addresses |
| DDoS Protection & Bot Management | Blocks malicious traffic, ensures uptime |
| Edge Computing | Processes traffic close to users rather than at a central server |
Challenges for India:
- Centralisation Risk: Outages or misconfigurations at Cloudflare can affect millions of websites worldwide.
- Digital Sovereignty: Dependence on foreign providers for critical internet infrastructure.
- Security Vulnerabilities: Single points of failure can be exploited by malicious actors.
- Economic Impact: Disruptions affect fintech, e-commerce, education, and governance.
Mains practice Question:
Q2. “The recent Cloudflare outage underscores the risks of centralisation in global internet infrastructure.” Examine the implications of such dependency for digital governance, cybersecurity, and national digital sovereignty in India. Suggest measures to enhance resilience and reduce systemic risk.