New York moves to ban pricing that changes based on who you are

• The One Fair Price law passed in New York seeks to ban personal data and artificial intelligence algorithms from charging different rates for the exact same product or service to various buyers.
• Commercial chambers warn that the measure is excessively broad and could mistakenly eliminate popular benefits like loyalty programs, coupons and special offers for frequent clients.
• Attorney General Letitia James backs the legislation to curb predatory pricing based on digital profiles, while the future of the proposal now rests on Governor Kathy Hochul’s decision.

Digital commerce and the way consumers acquire products online alongside their pricing sit right at the center of an intense legislative debate in New York, where suspicions regarding changing rates took an official turn. Along these lines, for years thousands of users noticed that costs for an airline ticket, a hotel room or an everyday item shift abruptly after running several searches or switching electronic devices; this situation generated deep civic distrust and drove state lawmakers to push a historic initiative regulating technology usage in commercial transactions under the name of the One Fair Price law.

The scope and future of the One Fair Price law

Through this approach, the legislative proposal named the One Fair Price Act aims to halt the practice known as digital surveillance pricing, which lets major corporations gather private info to guess how much money each user is willing to spend. Backed by key New York figures like Attorney General Letitia James and local lawmakers, the measure cleared the state Senate and Assembly after confirming that algorithms analyze data such as browsing history, geographic location and shopping habits to set individual rates; nevertheless, the future of this regulation stands at a definitive crossroads awaiting Governor Kathy Hochul‘s signature.

 

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Una publicación compartida de The NYS Assembly Majority (@nysa_majority)

Commercial sector concern regarding restrictions

On the other hand, various business guilds and chambers of commerce expressed deep concern regarding the scope of the One Fair Price law, pointing out that the ban could backfire against daily economics in New York and other states; consequently, commercial sector leaders argue that such a restrictive text could wipe out legitimate discounts, point rewards and special rebates targeting veterans and seniors, directly hitting buyers’ pockets. While supporters defend the need to guarantee fairness and transparency across both physical stores and online platforms, the business sector insists on the urgency to adjust the legal framework to prevent confusion that restricts savings for New York families and consumers.

Yesterday, Gov. @MikieSherrill signed the Fair Price Protection Act, legislation designed to prevent businesses from using personal information collected through electronic surveillance to determine a price for merchandise. pic.twitter.com/BDFioLsq3T

— Democratic Governors (@DemGovs) July 24, 2026