New Delhi: As streaming services expand across India, a growing number of consumers are reporting difficulties cancelling OTT subscriptions, hidden charges and other practices that can make it harder to manage paid services. A nationwide LocalCircles survey found that 60% of 16,550 respondents said they had frequently faced difficulty cancelling monthly or annual OTT subscriptions because cancellation options were either unavailable or difficult to find.
The findings have renewed concerns over so-called “dark patterns” — interface designs or business practices that can influence consumers into making decisions they may not otherwise make.
LocalCircles said the survey covered more than 118,000 OTT users across 324 districts. The organisation has sought stronger enforcement of existing rules from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA).
60% report cancellation difficulties
The survey’s most prominent finding relates to subscription cancellations.
Among 16,550 respondents, 60% said they had frequently experienced difficulty cancelling monthly or annual subscriptions. Within that group, 22% said the problem occurred very frequently, while 38% said it happened sometimes.
The reported difficulties included cancellation options being unavailable, hidden within menus or interfaces, or otherwise difficult to locate.
For consumers, such practices can have a direct financial impact. If a subscriber is unable to cancel a recurring plan before the next billing date, another payment may be automatically deducted.
LocalCircles has described such practices as part of a wider pattern of potentially deceptive digital design.
Complaints spread across major OTT platforms
The survey found that complaints were not limited to one streaming service.
Users reported concerns involving platforms including Zee5, SonyLIV, Amazon Prime Video, JioHotstar, Netflix, YouTube, Airtel Xstream Play and Apple TV.
Reported problems included being charged even after attempting to cancel a subscription, additional rental fees for content users believed was included in their plans, advertisements appearing despite payment for an ad-free package and difficulty switching off automatic renewals.
The findings represent consumer-reported experiences and allegations collected through the survey; they do not establish that every platform listed uses deceptive practices or that every complaint is valid.
What are dark patterns?
“Dark patterns” generally refer to design choices or commercial practices that can manipulate or steer users towards particular actions.
In the OTT sector, these can take several forms.
A subscription trap, for example, may make it easy for a customer to sign up but significantly harder to cancel. A platform may prominently display a subscription or renewal button while placing the cancellation route deeper inside the account settings.
Another practice involves hidden or unexpected charges. A consumer may believe that a particular subscription provides access to a programme or service, only to discover an additional rental or purchase charge.
Users can also encounter forced actions, where accessing particular content or completing a transaction requires them to take an additional step, such as registering for another service or providing information.
Earlier LocalCircles findings showed wider concerns
The latest findings build on concerns raised in earlier LocalCircles research.
In a July 2025 study covering more than 95,000 responses across 353 districts, 50% of respondents said they had frequently faced difficulty cancelling subscriptions because the cancellation option was missing or hidden.
A separate LocalCircles analysis published in July 2025 found that 24% of surveyed consumers said they had frequently experienced continued periodic billing even after discontinuing an OTT subscription. The study also reported widespread complaints about interface interference, forced actions and additional charges.
The latest survey therefore suggests that subscription-management concerns remain significant among Indian digital consumers.
Consumers complain about unexpected charges
Subscription-related billing has become another major concern.
Some users reported being charged after attempting to discontinue services. Others said they encountered rental charges for content they believed was covered by their existing subscription.
There were also complaints from consumers who paid for ad-free plans but subsequently encountered advertisements.
Such situations can create confusion because OTT platforms increasingly use different combinations of subscription tiers, premium content purchases, rentals, advertisements and bundled services.
Consumers may therefore need to check exactly what their plan includes before subscribing or renewing.
CCPA guidelines already address dark patterns
India has already taken steps to address deceptive interface practices.
The Central Consumer Protection Authority introduced guidelines on prevention and regulation of dark patterns in 2023, aimed at protecting consumers from specified practices that can mislead or manipulate them in digital environments.
However, LocalCircles has argued that enforcement remains inconsistent across OTT platforms. The organisation has consequently written to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and the CCPA seeking stronger enforcement of the guidelines.
The issue is particularly important as more Indians shift from traditional television towards digital streaming.
India’s OTT market continues to expand
The concerns come at a time when India’s OTT ecosystem is continuing to grow rapidly.
According to recent Ormax Media data reported by The Economic Times, India’s OTT audience reached approximately 664.9 million in 2026, up 11% year-on-year. Active paid OTT subscriptions increased 16% to 172.6 million, while the connected-TV user base rose sharply.
The expansion means that subscription-related consumer protection issues could affect an increasingly large population.
For streaming companies, maintaining transparent pricing and straightforward cancellation mechanisms could therefore become increasingly important for retaining consumer trust.
What OTT subscribers can do
Consumers can take several precautions when signing up for streaming services.
They should first check whether the subscription automatically renews and note the renewal date. Users should also examine the exact content included in their plan and look for additional rental or premium charges.
When cancelling, consumers should save confirmation emails, screenshots or other records showing that the cancellation was completed.
It is also advisable to regularly check bank or card statements for recurring charges from services that are no longer being used.
If a platform continues charging after a valid cancellation or engages in a potentially deceptive practice, consumers can consider raising a complaint through the appropriate consumer-protection channels.
The challenge for streaming platforms
The survey highlights a growing tension in India’s OTT industry.
Streaming companies compete aggressively for subscribers and revenue, while consumers increasingly expect transparent pricing, easy cancellation and clear information about what their subscriptions cover.
Making cancellation unnecessarily difficult may help retain subscribers in the short term, but it can damage trust in the longer term.
For regulators, the challenge is to ensure that legitimate commercial practices are clearly distinguished from interface designs or billing systems that unfairly manipulate consumers.
As India’s OTT market continues to expand, transparency could become as important as content in determining the long-term relationship between streaming platforms and their subscribers.
The LocalCircles findings indicate that consumers want greater control over their subscriptions and stronger action against practices they consider misleading. With millions of Indians now paying for digital entertainment, ensuring that signing up is no easier than cancelling may become an increasingly important consumer-rights issue.