The ministry of consumer affairs, food and public distribution has issued guidelines for the prevention and regulation of illegal listing and sale of radio equipment including walkie talkies on e-commerce platforms.
The move comes to curb the unauthorized sale of wireless devices that may pose risks to consumer safety, mislead consumers regarding their legal position and interfere with critical communication networks, including those used by law enforcement and emergency services.
These guidelines were formulated following extensive inter-ministerial consultations with the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
According to the guidelines, it is mandatory that only authorized and compliant walkie-talkie devices operating on permitted frequencies are listed for sale on online platforms. The ministry also directed e-commerce to undertake due diligence and verify regulatory compliance, including licensing where applicable and listings lacking frequency information or necessary certification should be taken down.
The guidelines further prohibit misleading advertisements or product descriptions that may misinform consumers about the legal usage of such devices.
“Sellers should ensure that equipment listed for sale do not operate on frequencies which are not exempted from requirement of frequency assignment and authorization by DOT and ensure that the frequency bands on product description are clearly labeled,” it added.
The decision comes after it was observed that 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.
