The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has identified various prohibited security devices being sold on e-commerce sites. These include walkie-talkies, anti-drone systems, drone jammers, and GPS jammers, all flagged for regulatory violations. The CCPA’s action underscores ongoing concerns about the legality and safety of such equipment available to consumers online.
The government has been warning platforms about this for years. The concern for consumers is that a product appearing on a major online marketplace can make it look like an ordinary, legally purchasable gadget, even when its possession or use requires government approval. In the Xboom case, the company argued that it operated an enquiry-based model and that the products were meant for government agencies, armed forces and other authorised institutional buyers. Xboom also relied on a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with a person involved in anti-drone systems and consultancy for government departments. However, the CCPA disputed the argument stating that the MoU was not a substitute for the statutory licences and approvals required for the equipment.
Government rules place restrictions on the possession, use, manufacture and import of jammers, while CCPA’s 2025 guidelines specifically seek to prevent unauthorised radio equipment from being listed and sold on e-commerce platforms. In 2022, CCPA advised e-commerce companies against the illegal sale and facilitation of wireless jammers, while the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) separately told the public that cellular jammers, GPS blockers and other signal-jamming devices were generally illegal unless specifically permitted by the government.
CCPA said in its February action that the listings it examined did not clearly inform consumers that civilian possession and use of such devices without statutory authorisation was prohibited. The CCPA, however, said that the fact that buyers had to make an enquiry did not remove the listings from the scope of advertising.
