The FTC has sent mandatory notices for information to eight companies it says engages in “surveillance pricing”, the process by which prices are rapidly changed using AI based on data about customer behavior and characteristics. This process, the FTC claims, allows companies to charge different customers different prices for the same product.

The list includes Mastercard, JPMorgan Chase, Accenture and consulting giant McKinsey. It also includes software firm Task, which counts McDonald’s and Starbucks as clients; Revionics, which works with Home Depot, Tractor Supply and grocery chain Hannaford; Bloomreach, which services FreshDirect, Total Wine and Puma; and Pros, which was named Microsoft’s internet service vendor of the year this year. “Firms that harvest Americans’ personal data can put people’s privacy at risk,” FTC Chair Lina Khan said in a news release. “Now firms could be exploiting this vast trove of personal information to charge people higher prices.”

  • Wes4Humanity@lemm.ee
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    1
    arrow-down
    5
    ·
    4 months ago

    Okay, but couldn’t you look at this as them charging some people LESS? Like, if they know I’m not going to buy their trinket at $10, but I’m likely to buy it at $1 boom, “saved” me 9 bucks!

    Plus, fuck the rich, they can pay more than me, I don’t care.

    But also… Stop fucking spying on everything I do!

    • ArgentRaven@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      6
      ·
      4 months ago

      It’s not about less. It’s about then maximizing profits and they aren’t about to give anyone a discount. They want to know how much higher they can go before you refuse. If it’s lower than their typical project margin, they won’t care if you don’t buy because you weren’t going to be in the customer pool anyway.