00:00It's Benzinga, bringing Wall Street to Main Street.
00:02Online retailers may soon use personal data to set individualized prices for shoppers
00:06based on browsing habits, location, device type, and purchase history,
00:11according to the Wall Street Journal.
00:13The practice is raising concerns among researchers and regulators.
00:16Companies now have access to detailed consumer profiles drawn from across the web,
00:21and AI-driven pricing algorithms can turn that data into tailored prices
00:24without shoppers' knowledge.
00:26A December 2025 Consumer Reports investigation found price variations on Instacart
00:31among identical grocery orders, with some items varying by as much as 23%.
00:36Maryland became the first state to ban food retailers from using personal data to set higher prices.
00:41More than 50 bills addressing algorithmic pricing have been introduced across more than half of the U.S. states in
00:472026.
00:48Experts suggest shoppers compare prices across browsers, use incognito mode,
00:52and search aggregator sites before booking directly.
00:55For all things money, visit Benzinga.com.
Comments