Ministry of Consumer Affairs convenes a meeting to review complaints against edtech companies

Following reprimands of restaurants and ride-hailing apps, the Consumer Affairs Ministry will conduct a meeting with edtech companies such as Byju’s and Unacademy in the near future, following accusations that these platforms impose additional study pressure on schools.

Consumer Affairs Secretary Rohit Kumar Singh responded when asked if the government is taking action against edtech businesses’ ads, namely Byju’s new commercial ‘two teacher advantage,’ which is placing pressure on children. “We are aware of this. I have called a meeting of edtech companies next week or so,” he said.

The secretary was responding to questions from reporters on the new standards for avoiding deceptive advertising. A group has been formed to develop guidelines to avoid fraudulent reviews on e-commerce sites, according to the secretary. Representatives from e-tailers such as Amazon, consumer advocacy groups, and legal firms will serve on the committee. “We will hopefully come out with guidelines to prevent fake reviews in the next 60 days,” he stated.

The secretary recently met with officials from restaurants and hotels to discuss service charge issues, as well as ride-hailing companies to discuss unfair trade practises. The press conference was attended by Nidhi Khare, the Chief Commissioner of the Central Consumer Protection Authority and Additional Secretary in the Consumer Affairs Ministry, as well as other senior officials.

Source: PTI