India: Top brands fined for misleading COVID ads, ₹30 lakh penalty imposed

• Several top brands have been fined a cumulative ₹30 lakh by consumer rights watchdog. The fine has been imposed for issuing 'grossly misleading ads' that promised protection against Covid. 129 notices have been issued by the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) to brands for violations including 71 for misleading advertisements. These brands are accused of profiteering from consumer's fear amid pandemic. However, most firms have owned up to the cited violations under Consumer Protection Act of 2019. The companies did not challenge the notices and chose to withdraw the ads. Watch this report to know if you too got fooled by these misleading advertisements.