New Law Aims to Make Groceries More Affordable in New Jersey by Banning Surveillance Pricing
The law bars retailers from using personal data to set individual prices and imposes a one-year pause on new electronic shelf labels.
- On Thursday, Governor Mikie Sherrill signed the Fair Price Protection Act into law, banning New Jersey businesses from using personal data to charge shoppers different prices for identical products.
- Surveillance pricing, which uses personal data to set individualized costs, prompted Democratic-led states like Connecticut and Maryland to enact similar bans over concerns that retailers gouge customers.
- A one-year moratorium on new electronic shelf labels accompanies the ban, pending a study from the New Jersey Innovation Authority on the technology's impact on shoppers and workers.
- The National Grocers Association criticized the measure, arguing it unfairly punishes independent grocers that rely on traditional cost-based pricing, promotions, and loyalty programs rather than algorithmic models.
- Exceptions remain for loyalty programs and discounts for seniors or teachers, provided they are offered equally, while New York Governor Kathy Hochul reviews similar legislation.
15 Articles
15 Articles
NJ bans ‘surveillance pricing’ for grocery items
Surveillance pricing allows someone to use a shopper's personal data to charge them more for a specific item. Critics call it unfair. (Photo by New Jersey Monitor)Gov. Mikie Sherrill signed legislation Thursday that bars anyone from using data on a consumer’s spending habits to hike prices on their grocery items. The bill, dubbed the Fair Price Protection Act, is intended to forbid the use of surveillance pricing, in which prices are adjusted ba…
NJ Gov. Signs Surveillance Pricing Ban Despite Industry Objections
New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill signed the Fair Price Protection Act on July 23, barring retailers from using shoppers’ personal data to set individualized prices and imposing a one-year moratorium on new electronic shelf label deployments – a provision the National Grocers Association had asked her to strike. The law prohibits businesses from using online activity, location, purchase history or other collected data to charge different prices for…
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