Your grocery bill could depend on your ZIP code, and New York lawmakers want to stop it, according to the Ithaca Journal. Several officials are pushing to ban “surveillance pricing,” where companies use personal data like search history or location to tailor prices.
Investigations found the practice on platforms like Instacart at major retailers, raising concerns about discriminatory pricing and privacy violations. Attorney General Letitia James warns shoppers could pay more simply based on income data or online behavior.
New York already requires companies to disclose algorithmic pricing under a new law. Two proposed bills would go further, banning personalized pricing and some digital shelf tech, with fines up to $25,000 per violation.
Shoppers can compare prices across accounts and report suspicious differences to the attorney general’s office.
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