New York Attorney General Letitia James has been crossing the state, pushing legislation that would ban the use of personal data to set prices for consumers.
"That fundamentally is not fair," James said during a stop in Syracuse this week. "There should be one price for every New Yorker, and that price should basically be the same. And it should not be based on our personal data, or who can pay the highest price."
James said there are two bills as part of the "One Fair Price Package." First, the One Fair Price Act would prohibit surveillance pricing in New York State. The Protecting Consumers and Jobs from Discriminatory Pricing Act would ban the use of electronic shelf labels in grocery stores and pharmacies. James said the legislation isn't anti-technology, but an issue of fairness.
"When it comes to Pampers and milk and eggs and all the things that we rely upon, there should be one price and one price for all of us, and that price should be the same," she said.
New York City Assemblywoman Emerita Torres is one of the sponsors of the legislation and has seen the prices change when buying diapers for her young children.
"And I've noticed it online. The prices fluctuate," said Torres. "And look, I'm a mom, and I buy diapers. So online companies know I need diapers. They've charged me different prices for the same product."
Central New York Rep. John Mannion (D-Geddes) says he’s supporting similar legislation on the federal level. He said consumers need to know when a company is tracking spending habits, something that could ultimately change the price of an item.
"What we need is legislation like this, whereas the general populace doesn't have to go through and figure out exactly if they're being tracked and if it's fair or not," said Mannion. "So we can have state agencies and federal agencies and litigation to hold these corporations accountable."
James said she expects action on the legislation in the coming weeks.
"We're hoping that as the legislature comes to a close when they pass the budget, hopefully this week, these two bills will be included," James said. "If not, thereafter, these bills should be passed post-budget."
