Website Notifications and Labels What They Mean for You

You open a website to check something quickly, and before you can read a single line, a box pops up asking you to accept cookies. You click yes without reading because you just want to get on with it. Sound familiar? Most Indian internet users do exactly this, every single day, across hundreds of websites. But these pop-ups, banners, and small labels carry real meaning, and understanding them can protect your privacy, your money, and your time online.

This guide walks you through every type of notification or label you are likely to see on a website, what it is asking of you, and what you should actually do.

The Cookie Consent Banner

This is the most common pop-up you will encounter. It usually appears the moment you land on a website. It says something like We use cookies to improve your experience and gives you buttons such as Accept All, Reject, or Manage Preferences.

A cookie is a small file that a website stores on your device. It helps the site remember things about you. For example, if you add a product to your cart on an e-commerce site and come back the next day, the item is still there because of a cookie. That is the harmless kind. But websites also use cookies to track what you click, what you read, and which ads you respond to. That tracking data is then used to show you targeted advertisements.

India’s Digital Personal Data Protection Act DPDPA, which received Presidential assent on 11 August 2023, now requires websites to collect your consent before using cookies that collect personal data. The law requires clear, explicit consent and does not allow pre-ticked boxes, implied consent from continued browsing, or “cookie wall” designs that block access unless you agree.

What should you do? Do not click Accept All by habit. Look for Reject or Manage Preferences and turn off tracking cookies. You can usually keep the ones labelled Necessary or Essential because those just keep the website working properly. You can change your choice later by finding the cookie settings link in the website’s footer.

Privacy Policy and Data Collection Notices

After the cookie banner, many websites show you a smaller notice or a link saying Read our Privacy Policy. This is not just legal filler. A proper privacy notice should tell you the categories of personal data being collected, the purpose for which it will be processed, how the information will be used, and what rights you have under the law.

Under the DPDPA, businesses must tell you why they are collecting your data, what they will do with it, and how to make a complaint if something goes wrong. Notices must also be made accessible in English or any language listed in the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of India, which means major websites must eventually offer these notices in Hindi, Tamil, Bengali, and other Indian languages.

In practice, most privacy policies are long and written in difficult legal language. You do not need to read the whole thing. Look specifically for two things what data they collect name, phone number, location, browsing behaviour and whether they share it with third parties. If a website shares your data with advertisers or other companies, that matters.

Age Restriction Warnings

Some websites show a pop-up asking you to confirm that you are 18 years of age or older before letting you in. You will see this on websites related to alcohol, fantasy sports, online rummy platforms, and similar categories.

This is a legal requirement, not just a formality. Many online platforms in India must restrict access to adults because of rules specific to their industry. Under the DPDPA, websites must also get parental consent before collecting data from children, meaning users under 18. If a website asks for your date of birth to verify your age, it is likely doing this to comply with the law.

Be honest when you fill these in. If a platform later finds you misrepresented your age, your account can be suspended and any winnings or transactions may be voided. If you are playing lotus365 cricket or using any real-money gaming platform, the age check is both a legal and a practical safeguard.

Caution: Real-money gaming and betting platforms carry financial risk. These are not guaranteed ways to earn money. Always check whether a platform is legal to use in your state, because rules differ across Indian states. If you are unsure, do not deposit money.

AI-Generated Content Labels

This is a newer type of label that you will start seeing more often. If a video, image, or audio clip was made using artificial intelligence, websites and social media platforms are now required to display a visible label saying so.

India’s Ministry of Electronics and IT MeitY proposed, in April 2026, that such labels must be continuous and clearly visible throughout the entire duration of visual content, not just shown briefly at the start. This replaces an older rule that only asked for prominent visibility. This requirement covers deepfakes, AI-generated or AI-altered images and videos, voice cloning, and other forms of realistic, algorithmically generated content.

If you see a label that says AI Generated, Synthetic Content, or something similar on a piece of content, take a moment before you share it. This label is there to help you tell apart real footage from content that was created by a computer.

Push Notification Permission Requests

When you visit a news website or an e-commerce app for the first time, a small box from your browser often appears at the top of the screen asking Allow website name to send you notifications? This is a push notification request.

If you click Allow, the website can send you alerts directly to your browser or phone screen, even when you are not on the website. News sites use this for breaking news updates. Shopping sites use it for sale alerts. It sounds useful, but many websites send so many notifications that it quickly becomes annoying.

What you should do: Only allow notifications from websites you visit regularly and trust. If you accidentally allowed notifications from a website and want to stop them, go to your browser settings, find Notifications, and remove the website from the allowed list. On Chrome on Android, this is under Settings, then Site Settings, then Notifications.

Energy Star Labels on E-Commerce Sites

If you have been shopping for a refrigerator, air conditioner, or washing machine on sites like Amazon or Flipkart, you may have noticed a colourful star rating label on the product listing. This is not a seller’s rating. It is the BEE Bureau of Energy Efficiency star label.

On 20 March 2025, the Bureau of Energy Efficiency issued a notice requiring star labels for 39 appliances to be properly displayed at points of sale, including e-commerce websites. A 5-star rated appliance uses significantly less electricity than a 1-star rated one. Over a year, the difference can add up to thousands of rupees in your electricity bill.

When buying an appliance, always check the BEE star rating on the website product page. You can also verify the rating on the official BEE portal run by the Ministry of Power, Government of India, which lists verified star ratings for all labelled products.

Disclaimer and For Information Only Labels

You will often see small text at the bottom of financial comparison websites, health information pages, or investment platforms. It usually says something like This is for informational purposes only and is not financial advice or Consult a qualified professional.

These labels exist for a reason. A website describing mutual funds or medicines is not your financial advisor or doctor. The information may be accurate in general but wrong for your specific situation. If you are making a decision about your money or health based on what you read online, speak to a certified financial planner or a qualified doctor before acting.

Similarly, if you are downloading the lotus365 apk or any third-party application, a responsible platform will show you a disclaimer about risks. Pay attention to these. Downloading apps from outside the official app stores carries security risks, including malware.

Last Updated and Content Date Labels

Many websites show a date near the top of an article or page. This tells you when the information was last reviewed. India’s DPDPA was passed in 2023 and is being implemented on a phased schedule through 2025 to 2027, which means information about it changes often. A page last updated in 2021 will give you outdated advice on data protection.

Always check the last updated date, especially on pages about legal rights, tax rules, government schemes, or health information. Outdated information can mislead you into making wrong decisions.

A Simple Table to Remember

Label or Notification	What It Means	What to Do
Cookie Consent Banner	Site wants to track you	Choose Reject or Manage Preferences
Privacy Notice	Explains how your data is used	Check what data is collected and shared
Age Restriction Pop-up	Content is for 18 and above	Enter your age honestly
AI Label on Content	The content was computer-generated	Think before sharing
Push Notification Request	Site wants to send you alerts	Allow only from trusted sites
BEE Star Label	Energy efficiency rating of an appliance	Higher stars save more electricity
Disclaimer Label	Information is general, not personalised advice	Consult a professional for major decisions
Last Updated Date	When the page was last reviewed	Prefer recently updated pages

FAQs

India’s DPDPA 2023 requires websites that collect personal data to get your consent before doing so. Cookie banners are how websites ask for this consent. It became more common in India after the law came into force in phases from 2024 onwards. However, as of December 2024, only three out of the top 50 websites in India had implemented proper cookie consent banners, so you may still encounter many sites that skip this step altogether.

It is not the best choice. Clicking Accept All gives the website permission to track your browsing habits across the internet and use that data for advertising. It is safer to click Reject or use the custom settings to allow only necessary cookies. Your browsing experience on most websites will not change if you reject tracking cookies.

The government is revising IT Rules to require that AI-generated content must carry continuous and clearly visible labels throughout the entire duration of the visual display. If you see a label that says AI Generated on a video or image, it means a software tool created or heavily modified that content. It does not mean the content is false, but you should be more careful about sharing it without verifying the facts it claims.

Websites with age restrictions are required by law to limit access to adults. If you enter a false age to access restricted content, you may violate the platform’s terms of service. Your account can be banned and transactions may be cancelled. For real-money gaming platforms, always verify that the activity is legal in your state before you participate.

India’s DPDP Act applies to any business processing the personal data of people in India, and penalties can reach INR 250 crore per violation. If a website collecting your personal data is showing no privacy notice, you can avoid sharing sensitive information on it and report it to the Data Protection Board of India once the board becomes fully operational.