AG Bonta today announced an investigative sweep focused on businesses’ use of consumers’ personal information to set targeted, individualized prices for products and services, a practice known as surveillance pricing.  As part of the sweep, the California Department of Justice is sending letters to businesses with significant online presence in the retail, grocery, and hotel sectors. The letters request information regarding how businesses use consumers’ shopping and internet browsing history, location, demographics, inferential, or other data to set the prices of goods or services. 

“Consumers have the right to understand how their personal information is being used, including whether companies are using their data to set the prices that Californians pay, whether that be for groceries, travel, or household goods. We need to know whether businesses are charging people different prices for the same good or service — and if they’re complying with the law. […] Practices like surveillance pricing may undermine consumer trust, unfairly raise prices, and when conducted without proper disclosure or beyond reasonable expectations, may violate California law.” – AG Bonta