FTC Targeted Personalized Pricing Practices
The agency proposed a policy classifying undisclosed personalized pricing as potentially unfair business conduct.
Updated on Sept. 29, 2026 in Inflation
Live Poll
Should companies be allowed to use your personal data to charge you different prices than others?
The Federal Trade Commission has launched enforcement actions and proposed a new policy regarding the use of personal data for consumer pricing. Officials expressed concern that businesses may use such data to charge different amounts to different consumers.
Why it matters
The agency aims to increase transparency by addressing practices where companies use individual data to set varied prices for the same goods or services. This move could reshape how retailers and service providers interact with consumer information.
The agency is preparing a study on personalized pricing practices across sectors like grocery and ridesharing. It remains unknown how many companies will be subject to initial investigations or if specific pricing models will be banned outright.
The players
Federal Trade Commission
The Federal Trade Commission is a federal agency tasked with protecting consumers and ensuring competitive, fair business practices.
Andrew Ferguson
Andrew Ferguson serves as the Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission.
The details
The agency plans to utilize personal data to analyze how businesses determine costs for consumers. Chairman Andrew Ferguson emphasized that undisclosed personalized pricing could be classified as potentially unfair under the new proposed policy.
Timeline
The Federal Trade Commission announced the study and policy plans on September 28, 2026.
Macro View
This move extends the application of the FTC's Unfair or Deceptive Acts or Practices authority to modern digital price-setting practices. Historically, this legal framework has been used to police traditional deceptive marketing, but it is now being adapted for algorithmic pricing models.
This policy change could eventually lead to more transparent pricing at the checkout counter for groceries or within ridesharing applications. Readers may see fewer instances of algorithmically adjusted costs based on their personal digital profile.
The takeaway
If implemented, this policy would force companies to disclose when prices are being tailored to an individual user. Consumers should remain aware of how their digital footprints and data activity may influence the price points they encounter online.
Further reading
For more context on how market pricing affects consumers, visit United States Inflation.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Mlex.
Live Poll
Should companies be allowed to use your personal data to charge you different prices than others?
