Michigan House Advances Legislation to Ban Price Hikes Based on Shopper Data
The Michigan House of Representatives has voted 92-15 to advance two bills, HB 6098 and HB 6099, aimed at prohibiting businesses from increasing prices based on a shopper's personal information. These bills, sponsored by Republican state representatives Steve Frisbie and Rylee Linting, seek to amend the Michigan Consumer Protection Act and the Shopping Reform and Modernization Act. HB 6098 would classify the practice of using personal data like location, cookies, device identifiers, IP addresses, and search/purchase records to raise prices as unfair. HB 6099 would then add a surveillance pricing prohibition to the Shopping Reform and Modernization Act, contingent on HB 6098 becoming law. The legislation has been referred to the Economic and Community Development Committee in the Senate. While dynamic pricing based on demand and supply would remain legal, and retailer loyalty programs would be exempt, the bills represent a broader effort to regulate how retailers use consumer data for pricing.
