Consent Fatigue in India: How to Design Better Consent UX

If users click “Accept All” without reading  is it really consent?

In the post-DPDP Act India, businesses are racing to show they care about privacy. But instead of earning trust, many end up overwhelming users with banners, toggles, and terms no one reads. The result? Consent fatigue.

With the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 and DPDP Rules, 2025 now live, getting consent is no longer a design choice it’s a legal mandate. But poor UX leads to poor compliance.

So how can businesses design DPDP-compliant, user-friendly consent flows that don’t annoy users or violate the law?

This blog explains what consent fatigue looks like in India  and how to fix it.

What Is Consent Fatigue?

Consent fatigue happens when users are so frequently asked for consent  in complex, intrusive, or unclear ways that they stop engaging meaningfully.

In India, users face:

• Repetitive pop-ups on every site

• Vague language like “by continuing you agree…”

• No real “Reject All” option

• Cookie walls that block access

• Auto-checked boxes

• Scrolling = consent assumptions

Instead of informed choices, users either blindly agree or exit.

Under DPDP, this isn’t just bad UX  it’s non-compliance.

DPDP Act Requirements: What the Law Says

The DPDP Act (2023) and Rules (2025) clearly define what valid consent must look like:

• Freely given - not forced, nudged, or bundled

• Informed - the user must know what, why, how long, and who

• Specific - purpose-by-purpose, not a blanket yes

• Clear and unambiguous - no legalese, hidden toggles, or default opt-ins

• Verifiable - recordable proof of how and when consent was given

• Easy to withdraw - and without penalty

If your design causes confusion, nudges acceptance, or hides rejection it’s non-compliant.

What Bad Consent UX Looks Like

• One giant “Accept All” button and no visible “Reject”

• Long, unreadable privacy notices

• Consent bundled with login or payments

• Use of dark patterns or nudging UI

• Auto-checked checkboxes

• Pop-ups that block content unless you agree

• Mobile-unfriendly toggles or click fatigue

These aren’t just annoyances they’re risk factors under DPDP’s enforcement.

Designing Better Consent UX: What Works

1. Layered Consent Screens

Break information into layers a short summary upfront, with expandable details for those who want more.

2. Purpose-Based Toggles

Let users toggle consent for Ads, Analytics, Personalisation, etc., individually not all-or-nothing.

3. Visible ‘Reject All’ and ‘Manage Preferences’

These must be equally visible and not hidden behind multiple clicks. Use neutral colours and equal button sizes.

4. Avoid Consent as a Barrier

Let users browse basic content without forcing consent. Consent walls violate the “freely given” clause.

5. Easy Withdrawal

Users should be able to withdraw consent as easily as they gave it through dashboards, footers, or settings.

6. Mobile-First, Multilingual Design

Many users in India access services via mobile and in regional languages. Consent UX must be responsive and readable in preferred languages.

What the DPDP Rules Say About UX

The DPDP Rules, 2025 reinforce that:

• The user must be clearly informed before any processing

• Consent must be verifiable and time-stamped

• Withdrawal options must be as simple as giving consent

• For children, verifiable parental consent and adult age checks are mandatory

• Default settings cannot assume consent

Failing to comply? You risk penalties under Section 33 up to ₹250 crore per breach.

Tools to Help: Don’t Build from Scratch

If your team isn’t sure how to implement DPDP-ready consent UX, don’t wing it.

Use a Consent Management Platform (CMP) like Blutic, which helps you:

• Create multi-purpose consent banners

• Offer customisable toggles

• Localise languages and device responsiveness

• Maintain verifiable consent logs

• Enable withdrawal and grievance flows

• Scan for third-party cookies and risky tags

Good consent design is no longer a nice-to-have. It’s a regulatory and reputational shield.

Privacy Starts With UX

Consent fatigue is a real threat not just to UX, but to data rights and legal compliance.

Businesses that get ahead of this challenge will not only avoid fines but win user trust in a market that increasingly demands privacy-first design.

Start with your banner. Start with your toggle. But most importantly start with respect for user choice.

Blutic makes it easy for Indian businesses to implement clean, compliant, and clear consent UX that’s aligned with DPDP expectations.

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