Seattle Introduces Policy to Prevent Retailers from Using Personal Data for Grocery Pricing
Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson, along with city councilmembers Alexis Mercedes Rinck and Dionne Foster, announced a new policy aimed at preventing retailers from using personal data to set grocery prices. The Fair and Transparent Policy seeks to eliminate price gouging and promote equal discounts, ensuring that groceries and essential goods are fairly priced. This policy is the first of its kind in the United States and aims to stop corporations from using personal data to maximize charges on consumers. The policy will block large grocery retailers from using sensitive personal information, such as employment status, race, gender, and browsing history, to create varied prices for different customers. All prices must be clearly visible and publicly available, while conventional coupons and discounts for specific groups will be preserved.