Why India is cracking down on walkie-talkie sales online
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. India’s consumer watchdog has cracked down on leading e-commerce platforms for selling unauthorized walkie-talkies without mandatory approvals, citing violations of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, and telecom laws.
Walkie-talkies are two-way wireless communication devices that transmit voice signals over radio frequencies and are widely used for short-distance communication in security, logistics and emergency services. Regulators say unauthorized devices can interfere with communication systems used by law-enforcement agencies, disaster management authorities and emergency responders, posing risks to public safety, public order, and national security.
Mint explains the legal violations behind illegal walkie-talkie listings and why enforcement is tightening. The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) found that several walkie-talkie listings on e-commerce platforms such as Meesho and Amazon failed to disclose critical information, including the frequency band used, whether a government licence was required, and whether the product had obtained Equipment Type Approval (ETA).
ETA is a mandatory clearance from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) that certifies whether a wireless device is safe and legally permitted for use in India. The authority found that many devices operated in the ultra high-frequency (UHF) band, which is reserved for critical services such as police networks, disaster response agencies and other essential communication systems.
Some products were marketed as “license-free" or even sold as toys, despite claiming communication ranges of up to 30 km. According to the CCPA, such practices amounted to misleading advertising and posed risks to consumer
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