India bans dark patterns

❓️ What it is - Dark patterns are dirty ways to push customers into buying something, often done by being manipulative and deceptive.

Here are some examples of these:

• ⏱️ Fake countdowns for a sense of urgency (these usually reset without anything happening)

• ✅ Checkboxes that are automatically ticked, even if you never clicked it in the first place

• 📦️ Confirm shaming like Amazon’s “No thanks, I don’t want faster shipping” option for Prime

• ✉️ Roach models where sign ups are easy but unsubscribing is harder

⚖️ India’s ban hammer - Under the order of the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA), the Indian government has banned dark patterns which will affect all platforms, all goods and services and all advertisers doing them. Penalties will be given for doing even 1 of the 13 patterns identified.

Philippine Grab drivers protest new fares

🏍️ New rules - Grab drivers in the Philippines took a “unity ride” to protest the new fare that gives them less income.

Grab introduced a new matrix where:

• The new fare rate is Php 35 from Php 45

• Per kilometer compensation is Php 7 from Php 10

🛑 Being silenced - Some drivers reported being suspended/terminated for joining rallies or speaking out against Grab. The issue puts into light the challenges faced by gig workers in the ecommerce industry and draws attention to better working policies for drivers.

advastore’s automated fulfillment center raises the bar

💵 New funding - An ecommerce and logistics startup from Munich is setting new standards in the industry. Advastore’s latest deal reached $50 million and is in Series A of its fundraising round.

🤖 How it works - AI chooses the best way to pack an order and the fastest route it can take, the first in the industry to do it. Because of this, it also minimizes the amount of waste from packaging materials. Optimal routes also mean less fuel usage and emissions from delivery.