'A transparent, consistent price at the register': Maryland is the first US state to ban 'surveillance pricing' and shocked shoppers are hoping others follow suit soon

Date:
Thu, 30 Apr 2026 11:35:43 +0000

Description:
Maryland grocery stores will no longer be able to adjust pricing dynamically based on user data and other factors.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Maryland is introducing the Protection from Predatory Pricing Act It will ban surveillance pricing in grocery stores Some consumer rights groups think it doesn't go far enough So-called 'surveillance pricing' in grocery stores, where the cost of items
is changed dynamically based on a variety of factors and shopper data, is now widespread in the US and the authorities in Maryland have had enough.

As reported by The Guardian , Maryland Governor Wes Moore has signaled his intent to sign the Protection from Predatory Pricing Act into law after the state legislature approval, and the act will come into effect at the start of October this year. It means stores and third-party delivery apps won't be
able to adjust pricing on the fly, based on what they know about the buyer,
or on other factors such as the time of day. The aim is to ensure consumers pay "a transparent, consistent price at the register", according to Governor Moore's office . Article continues below You may like Ubiquiti adds a RAM tax to products and it hasn't gone down well with some Maine becomes first US state to pass data centre construction ban Sony is reportedly testing dynamic pricing on its PlayStation storefront that changes the price tag of over 190 games

Without this protection in place, surveillance pricing also known as dynamic pricing or personalized pricing could lead to two people with the same items in their shopping cart paying different prices when they check out. Other states may follow Today, Maryland will become the first state in the country to ban surveillance pricing in our supermarkets and grocery stores.We will also prohibit election methods that dilute the votes of protected classes and create a State Foster Youth Ombudsman. https://t.co/ttQuXhccc5 April 28, 2026 Consumer rights groups have welcomed the new legislation, but there are concerns that it doesn't go far enough and that stores and apps will still
be able to apply personalized pricing by using alternative methods that are less visible to consumers.

As Common Dreams reports, while stores must keep prices fixed for at least
one business day, there's some ambiguity over how baseline prices and 'discounts' can be set and manipulated. Loyalty and subscription programs are also exempt from the new rules.

Other states may now follow the lead set by Maryland. There are similar bills under consideration in Colorado, California, Massachusetts, Illinois, and New Jersey, and the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is also currently running its own investigation into surveillance pricing and its impact on consumers. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our
trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

"We urge other state legislatures considering personalized pricing
legislation to build in stronger consumer protections and avoid loopholes
that weakened this bill," Grace Gedye, senior policy analyst at Consumer Reports, told Common Dreams .

Worried consumers are also hoping that happens. Over on Reddit , responses to the practice have ranged from "this is horrifying" to others calling it
"truly dystopian". Others noted that Maryland's law includes exemptions for loyalty programs and promotional offers, which means the same practice could still effectively happen in reverse through selective discounts. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button!

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