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Assembly committee forwards SB 259 to curb device-based "surveillance pricing"
Summary
The Assembly Bridal Consumer Protection Committee voted to send SB 259, which would prohibit use of certain device-derived data in consumer pricing, to the Judiciary Committee after testimony from labor and business groups and negotiation over geolocation carve-outs.
The Assembly Bridal Consumer Protection Committee on Thursday voted to refer SB 259, a bill by Sen. Aisha Wahab to restrict "surveillance pricing," to the Judiciary Committee after a contentious hearing and an 8-1 roll call.
SB 259 would bar businesses from altering the price of goods or services based on consumer device characteristics or certain automated signals derived from a consumer's device unless an exception applies. Supporters say the bill closes a loophole that lets companies use phone model, battery state or geolocation as proxies for race, income or other protected traits; opponents warned the measure could interfere with legitimate pricing differences tied to location and operations.
Sen. Wahab framed the bill as an effort to stop corporations from using the type or model of a consumer's…
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