IntroductionIn today's digital age, misleading advertisements have become a pervasive concern in India. Alarmingly, 94% of these misleading ads were found online in FY 2024–25, largely on sponsored social media posts, requiring modifications in 98% of the flagged cases2. Meanwhile, the government's GAMA portal (Grievances Against Misleading Advertisements) recorded 6,154 complaints between 2019 and 2021, underlining the growing frequency of deceptive ads across traditional media3. The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) imposed a ₹3 lakh fine on VLCC Ltd after discovering that its advertisements for fat-loss and slimming procedures with their CoolSculpting machine had made exaggerated and misleading promises. As misleading advertisements continue to flood both traditional and digital platforms, the action taken by the CCPA reinforces the principle that transparency and accountability are non-negotiable in the marketplace.

Source: Economic Times December 24, 2025 18:12 UTC