The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution has issued notices to 13 online commerce platforms, including Amazon, Flipkart, Meesho and OLX, for allegedly selling walkie-talkies without adhering to mandatory licensing and disclosure norms.The move comes in the wake of Operation Sindoor as such non-compliant devices could also pose a national security threat.“Walkie-talkies are being sold on e-commerce platforms without mandatory and clear disclosures regarding the requirement of a wireless operating license or compliance with applicable laws. The product listings for walkie-talkies do not specify whether the device requires a license from the concerned authority for use,” the statement said.According to an official release, the platforms were found listing and selling walkie-talkies without clearly informing consumers about licensing requirements, frequency specifications, or Equipment Type Approval (ETA) from the Wireless Planning and Coordination (WPC) Wing – a violation of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.Other platforms that received the notice include Facebook, TradeIndia, Indiamart, VardaanMart, Jiomart, Krishnamart, Chimiya, Talk Pro Walkie Talkie, and MaskMan Toys.An initial CCPA review uncovered hundreds of such listings — 467 on Amazon, 314 on Flipkart, 489 on Meesho, and 423 on TradeIndia alone. The authority has now sought detailed information from the platforms, including seller credentials, product URLs, licensing documentation, ETA certification status, and unit sales data from January 2023 onwards.
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