The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) has launched its first-ever influencer-led consumer awareness campaign targeting greenwashing and dark patterns; two practices increasingly seen as manipulating consumer choice in the digital ecosystem. The initiative is part of ASCI Academy’s broader agenda to equip consumers to navigate advertising in a more informed manner.
The campaign will encourage consumers to question sustainability claims, decode eco-labels and distinguish credible environmental commitments from marketing buzzwords. Influencers will also explain deceptive “dark patterns” such as basket sneaking, hidden costs and confusing design choices that nudge users into unintended decisions. Content creators including Shraddha Jain, Aalekh Kapoor and Aisha Ahmed are among those partnering with ASCI. ASCI CEO and Secretary General Manisha Kapoor said consumer education remains a key pillar of ASCI Academy, alongside its school programme “Ad-Wise.” She added that the initiative aims to empower consumers to identify red flags in advertising.
ASCI’s 2024 “Conscious Patterns” report found 52 of India’s top 53 apps using dark patterns. Since issuing environmental claims guidelines in 2024, ASCI has processed 236 cases, all requiring modification. In Kolkata, where digital commerce and app-based services are expanding rapidly, awareness around misleading sustainability claims and hidden pricing tactics is gaining importance among urban consumers and young online shoppers. Established in 1985, ASCI works to ensure advertising across media remains legal, decent and truthful, collaborating with multiple government bodies to strengthen self-regulation.
