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Maryland has become the first U.S. state to ban “surveillance pricing” in grocery stores, with Gov. Wes Moore signing a law that bars grocers and third‑party delivery services from using personal data—such as location, browsing history, purchase behavior, or demographics—to charge different shoppers different prices. The measure takes aim at dynamic, personalized pricing systems critics say are opaque, discriminatory, and designed to extract the maximum a consumer will pay, threatening affordability of essentials. While limited to groceries, the move follows FTC findings that similar data-driven price discrimination appears across retail categories, and it could become a template for other states and force updates to retail, ad-tech, and personalization systems.
Sanya Mansoor / The Guardian : Maryland becomes the first US state to ban surveillance pricing in grocery stores, as other states including CO, CA, MA, IL, and NJ consider similar bills — Critics say Maryland's new law banning rapidly change product costs based on consumer data is full of carveouts
Maryland has become the first U.S. state to outlaw surveillance pricing in grocery stores, with Governor Wes Moore signing a law that forbids grocers and third-party delivery services from using consumers’ personal data—like location, search history and demographics—to raise prices for individuals. The measure targets dynamic pricing practices that alter costs rapidly so different shoppers pay different amounts for the same item, a technique critics say extracts the maximum each consumer will pay and risks food affordability. The law focuses on groceries because of their impact on access to essentials, while the FTC has documented similar tactics across other retail sectors and other states are considering related bills.
Maryland passed a first-in-the-nation law banning surveillance-based pricing in grocery stores, prohibiting retailers from using consumer data to set differential prices for products. The move targets practices where stores personalize offers or prices based on shoppers’ online or in-store behavior, location, purchase history, or demographic profiles. Advocates say the law protects consumers from discriminatory, opaque pricing and curbs predatory uses of behavioral data; retailers and ad-tech firms may need to change data collection, analytics, and personalization systems. The law matters for privacy, retail tech, and ad-tech regulation, potentially setting a template for other states and prompting technology and compliance updates across the grocery and retail sectors.
Maryland has become the first U.S. state to ban surveillance pricing in grocery stores after Governor Wes Moore signed a law prohibiting grocers and third‑party delivery services from using personal data—like location, search history and demographics—to set higher prices for individual shoppers. The measure targets dynamic pricing practices that rapidly change product costs so customers can be charged what they’re willing to pay; critics argue this disproportionately harms access to affordable food. While the law focuses on groceries, the FTC has found surveillance pricing across retail sectors including apparel and home goods, and similar bills are being considered in other states. Supporters say the law protects consumers from predictive analytics-driven price discrimination.