Portland Delays Vote on Surveillance Pricing Ban
Portland City Council postponed a vote on a proposal that would bar retailers from using shoppers' personal data to set prices.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Couponing
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Portland City Council postponed a vote on a proposal to ban retailers from using shoppers' personal data to set prices. Councilor Eric Zimmerman revised the proposal to add restrictions similar to Seattle's surveillance pricing law.
Why it matters
Shoppers have grappled with high grocery prices, and concerns have grown about how businesses use personal information to determine what they charge. The ordinance followed local supermarkets replacing paper price tags with digital ones.
The proposal allows fines up to $7,500 per violation, and each shopper charged an unlawful price counts as a separate violation. Stores would not have to keep specific pricing records, and shoppers could not sue retailers directly.
The players
Eric Zimmerman
Portland City Councilor who introduced the COST ordinance and revised it to add restrictions similar to Seattle's surveillance pricing law.
Angelita Morillo
Portland City Councilor who unsuccessfully tried to send the revised proposal back to committee.
The details
Zimmerman introduced the COST ordinance earlier this year and revised it Wednesday after Councilor Angelita Morillo unsuccessfully tried to send it back to committee. The city administrator would investigate violations, demand records and seek fines.
Timeline
Earlier this year: Zimmerman introduced the COST ordinance.
September 2026: Zimmerman presented an earlier version to the council committee.
November 5, 2026: The council postponed the vote and Zimmerman revised the proposal.
January 2027: The council plans to revisit the proposal.
July 1, 2027: The ordinance would take effect if approved.
Legal Context
Portland's proposal mirrors Seattle's law banning surveillance pricing at large grocery stores and follows Maryland, which became the first state to restrict personalized pricing at grocery stores. The debate reflects a broader push to limit how retailers use shopper data to set prices.
If approved, the ordinance would limit how retailers can set prices based on shopper data and restrict price increases to once per day. Portland shoppers could see fewer personalized price changes at grocery stores.
The takeaway
Shoppers concerned about personalized pricing can watch the council's January review of the COST ordinance to see whether Portland adopts protections similar to Seattle's.
What happens next
The Portland City Council plans to revisit the proposal in January 2027, and the ordinance would take effect July 1, 2027, if approved.
Further reading
For more on how shoppers can keep grocery costs down, see Couponing in Portland.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Oregon Live.
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