Ban algorithmic pricing, NDP urges Carney: ‘Downright creepy’

[Dr Strangelove]

What “algorithmic” or “surveillance” pricing means
According to the reporting, this refers to retailers using AI-driven systems that adjust prices based on:

income level

browsing history

location

past purchases

how long someone stays on a webpage

demand for the product

This can result in two people paying different prices for the same item, both online and in-store.

Examples cited by the NDP include a parent with a sick child being shown a higher price for medicine because of recent search history.

What the NDP is doing
Lewis announced that the NDP will table a motion in Parliament calling for a national ban on surveillance pricing.
Key points of the motion:

prohibit the use of personal data to adjust prices

apply the ban both in-store and online

frame it as a consumer protection measure during a cost‑of‑living crisis

Manitoba’s NDP government has already introduced provincial legislation banning the practice, making it the first jurisdiction in Canada to do so.

[al_keda]

Algorithmic pricing is like Surge pricing. A capitalists fat chubby moment.

They can price in real time based on scarcity, and then create scarcity to earn more.