Seattle Moves to Ban Data-Driven Price Discrimination by Grocers

Seattle City Council will vote on a bill barring large grocers (20+ locations) and third-party apps from using personal data to tailor prices or discounts, and would require uniform electronic price labels so pricing isn’t personalized. It would permit only universally available discounts (e.g., senior/veteran deals) and would apply to mixed-use retailers like Target. If passed, Seattle would be among the first jurisdictions to ban algorithmic price discrimination in groceries, with similar efforts in Portland and NYC; supporters say it protects shoppers, while grocers warn it could curb price personalization and transparency in pricing.