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Panel advances Ward bill to ban ‘surveillance pricing’ that uses personal data to set different prices
Summary
AB 446 would prohibit businesses from using consumers’ personal data to charge different prices for the same product or service; supporters cited grocery and transportation examples and a Target enforcement case, while opponents warned of conflicts with the CCPA and operational problems for loyalty programs.
The Assembly Privacy and Consumer Protection Committee passed AB 446, Assemblymember James Ward’s proposal to ban what the bill calls “surveillance pricing” — using a consumer’s personal information or algorithmically derived profiles to charge different prices for the same good or service.
Ward told the committee the bill targets companies that use customers’ electronic data, location signals, or other profiles to alter prices in real time. "We have always believed there should be one price for one good for all people," Ward said, citing examples in which firms adjust online prices based on location or other data. He argued that the practice disproportionately harms lower‑income shoppers and communities with fewer retail…
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