The government is cracking down on the “wild west” of online walkie-talkie sales. As of Friday, January 16, 2026, the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has slammed 13 e-commerce giants with heavy fines—totaling ₹44 lakh—for selling unauthorized radio equipment that could literally jam police and emergency signals.
The thing is, most people buying these gadgets think they’re just toys or simple tools for hiking. Or nothing. Let’s be real, many of these listings were falsely labeled as “100% legal” or “license-free.” Those too. But in India, unless your walkie-talkie operates strictly between 446.0 and 446.2 MHz, you’re technically breaking the law without a specific government license.
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The “Walkie-Talkie Crackdown” Log: Field Notes
It’s an ongoing situation where the CCPA is refusing to let big tech hide behind the “we’re just a platform” excuse.
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The Big Four Fines: Amazon, Flipkart, Meesho, and Meta (Facebook Marketplace) each got slapped with a ₹10 lakh penalty. The thing is, Flipkart alone moved over 65,000 units where the frequency was either illegal or just left blank.
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The “Toy” Trap: Brands like MaskMan Toys were selling devices with ranges up to 30 kilometers as if they were for kids. And here’s the kicker—those frequencies often overlap with the ones used by disaster response and law enforcement.
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The Intermediary Rejection: Platforms tried to say they weren’t responsible for what third-party sellers do. The CCPA basically said, “Nice try.” The thing is, if you’re promoting and hosting the product, you have to do your due diligence.
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The National Security Angle: This isn’t just about consumer rights. The thing is, unauthorized radios can cause “harmful interference” with critical national networks. Those too.
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CCPA Penalty Scorecard: Jan 2026
| Platform | Penalty Amount | Status | Major Violation |
| Amazon / Flipkart | ₹10 Lakh each | Awaited | Systemic failure to verify ETA/WPC certificates. |
| Meesho / Meta | ₹10 Lakh each | Paid | Repeated listings without licensing disclosures. |
| JioMart / Talk Pro | ₹1 Lakh each | Paid | Selling outside the 446.0–446.2 MHz band. |
| Chimiya / MaskMan | ₹1 Lakh each | Paid | Importing unapproved gear from overseas. |
And Here’s the Kicker…
New guidelines for 2025 are now officially in force. The thing is, e-commerce sites now have to run automated scans for frequencies before a product even goes live. They also have to conduct self-audits and publish the results online for everyone to see.
It’s an ongoing situation where five other entities—including IndiaMart and TradeIndia—are still under the scanner. The thing is, if you’ve bought a walkie-talkie recently that says it works on “UHF 400-470 MHz,” you might be holding a piece of illegal hardware. Those too.
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