The article discusses the concept of 'surveillance pricing,' where algorithms analyze consumer behavior to set personalized prices, rather than relying on traditional supply-and-demand economics. Examples include consumers paying more for hotel rooms or online shopping based on their data. Critics, including Consumer Watchdog, emphasize that this pricing method targets individual habits and interests. The FTC's previous interest in this issue under former Chair Lina Khan has diminished, with current leadership seeming less inclined to investigate, following leadership changes that halted public discussions on surveillance pricing.
These aren't hypothetical scenarios: Retailers and platforms are doing this right now, a practice that critics call "surveillance pricing."
Collection
[
|
...
]