All articles tagged with #surveillance pricing
Maryland becomes the first U.S. state to prohibit retailers and third-party services from using personal data to set higher prices in grocery stores. Gov. Wes Moore signed the law, which includes exemptions for loyalty programs and promotions and has critics warning of weak enforcement and loopholes. If successful, it could spur similar bills in other states, while federal action on surveillance pricing remains limited.
Maryland will become the first state to bar retailers from using shoppers’ data to set live, personalized grocery prices (surveillance pricing) under the Protection from Predatory Pricing Act, with prices fixed for at least one business day and bans on using data like income or demographics to charge different customers; loyalty programs and promotions remain allowed. Enforcement rests with the attorney general, with fines up to $25,000 for repeat violators. Critics say loopholes (notably loyalty pricing exemptions) and limited private right of action weaken the law, while supporters view it as a blueprint as other states consider similar measures amid a broader push for price transparency and digital price-tag tech in stores.
A Brooklyn proposed class-action claims JetBlue uses customers’ personal data and trackers to dynamically set ticket prices, a practice the airline denies, saying prices vary with demand; the suit follows a social-media exchange about price increases and comes amid congressional scrutiny of pricing practices in the airline industry.
Maryland becomes the first state to ban 'surveillance pricing' for food retailers and delivery services, prohibiting prices tailored to a consumer’s data, but critics warn the bill has loopholes (loyalty programs, subscriptions, consent-based pricing) and vague language, a 45-day cure window, and enforcement limited to the attorney general, potentially weakening real protections as other states consider similar measures and AI accelerates pricing practices. Gov. Wes Moore still needs to sign the act into law but has supported the idea.
Colorado's House advanced HB 26-1210 to outlaw using personal data and algorithms to set individualized wages or product prices, while excluding loyalty programs and normal supply-demand fluctuations; the bill would make surveillance pricing a deceptive trade practice enforceable by the attorney general, prompting questions about breadth as it heads to the Senate.
Pennsylvania lawmakers propose Senate Bill 1205 to ban 24-hour price changes on essential goods, part of a growing wave of state measures aiming to curb surveillance and dynamic pricing driven by AI; at least a dozen states are considering similar proposals, while New York has enacted a disclosure requirement for algorithmic pricing, and retailers like Walmart are expanding digital shelf labels—raising questions about price transparency and the risk of targeted pricing.
Democratic lawmakers introduced the Stop Price Gouging in Grocery Stores Act of 2026 to ban surveillance and surge pricing in large grocery stores, require disclosure of facial-recognition use, and prohibit electronic shelf labels. The bill aims to prevent price discrimination and follows growing legislative interest after studies suggested price variation and industry experiments; the UFCW supports the effort, while previous administrations eyed a broader FTC study on the issue.
Democrats in Colorado are pushing three bills to curb consumer costs: requiring delivery apps to display in-store prices, banning price hikes in captive-audience settings (stadiums, hospitals, airports) to match local averages, and prohibiting differential pricing by producers to favor large retailers, with enforcement by the attorney general. The measures face opposition from business groups and Republicans, and are expected to be introduced in the coming weeks as lawmakers seek to curb what they see as price manipulation in the market.