# Khara Index

> Khara Index is an independent, regular check of India's most used apps and websites for "dark patterns": design tricks that push people into paying more or agreeing to things they did not choose. India's Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) banned 13 such tricks in its Guidelines for Prevention and Regulation of Dark Patterns, 2023. Khara Index tests apps against that list and publishes a scorecard with evidence.

Schedule: about 12 apps are checked each week, so all 50 are covered each month; the full ranking is published monthly at first, then every 2 weeks. Serious findings are posted as soon as a person confirms them.

Status: the site is live; the first scorecard has not been published yet. No app has been graded so far, and the site does not name or accuse any company. All examples on the site are made up.

Khara (खरा) is Hindi for pure or genuine, as in "khara sona", gold that is truly gold. Founded by Ryan Sethi. Independent: no company pays Khara Index, and it is not affiliated with the government.

## What is checked

The 13 tricks banned by the CCPA, plus one category of our own (Wallet traps):

- **False urgency** (Checked in our scorecard): Saying something is almost gone, or that many people are looking, when that is not true.
- **Basket sneaking** (Checked in our scorecard): Adding extra items, fees or donations to your cart without your consent.
- **Confirm shaming** (Checked in our scorecard): Using guilt or fear in the "no" button to push you towards "yes".
- **Forced action** (Checked in our scorecard): Making you do something unrelated, like a sign-up, just to get what you came for.
- **Subscription trap** (Checked in our scorecard): Making it easy to sign up for a paid plan but hard to cancel.
- **Interface interference** (Checked in our scorecard): Design that makes one choice loud and the other choice hard to see.
- **Bait and switch** (Checked in our scorecard): Showing you one thing, then giving you something else.
- **Drip pricing** (Checked in our scorecard): Showing a low price first, then adding costs bit by bit.
- **Disguised advertisement** (Checked in our scorecard): An ad made to look like normal content, like a review or a news item.
- **Nagging** (Checked in our scorecard): Asking again and again until you give in.
- **Trick question** (Checked in our scorecard): Confusing wording, like double negatives, that makes you choose the opposite of what you meant.
- **SaaS billing** (Checked in our scorecard only where a free trial exists): Charging you again and again in a software plan, for example when a free trial turns into a paid one with no notice.
- **Rogue malware** (Not tested yet): Fake virus warnings or harmful downloads that try to scare you into installing something bad.
- **Wallet traps (our own category)** (Checked in our scorecard): Tricks that make it costly or confusing to use or take out your own money from a wallet.

## Method

- Each app or service is tested through a fresh session and a normal customer journey, starting with the website version.
- Every finding has a date, a screenshot or recording, and steps anyone can repeat.
- Findings are gathered by an AI agent and confirmed by a person before publication.
- "Not tested" means we did not look; it does not mean the app is clean. A pass means "nothing found within what we tested".
- Companies can reply or request corrections at hello@kharaindex.in.

## Pages

- [Home](https://kharaindex.in/): what the project is, the 14 tricks with examples and how to spot each, the grading idea, method and about.
- [The tricks](https://kharaindex.in/tricks/): one page per trick, with a made-up example, how to spot it and what the law says.
- [Reports](https://kharaindex.in/reports/): published checks of named apps. Report 1 is not out yet.
- [Notes](https://kharaindex.in/notes/): short updates from the founder.
- [Press](https://kharaindex.in/press/): facts, founder bio, boilerplate and press kit.

## Sources

- [CCPA Guidelines for Prevention and Regulation of Dark Patterns, 2023 (PDF)](https://ccpa.doca.gov.in/files/The%20Guidelines%20for%20Prevention%20and%20Regulation%20of%20Dark%20Patterns,%202023_1732707717.pdf)
- [PIB press release on the guidelines](https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1983994)
- [CCPA advisory asking e-commerce platforms to self-audit for dark patterns within 3 months (PDF)](https://consumeraffairs.gov.in/public/upload/admin/cmsfiles/pressRelease/Central_Consumer_Protection_Authority_issues_advisory_to_E-Commerce_Platforms_for_self-audit_within_3_months_to_detect_Dark_Patterns_and_ensure_its_resolutionpress_release.pdf)

## Contact

hello@kharaindex.in