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ARTICLE · 19 FEBRUARY 2026

California's Newest Surveillance Pricing Probe

Ballard Spahr LLP
Ballard Spahr LLP
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Ballard Spahr LLP

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Two customers shopping for the same product on the same website at the same time may see two different prices. This scenario is a growing reality in today's data-driven marketplace, and California regulators are paying...

United StatesPrivacy
Brianna Howard
Brianna Howard
Matt Thornton
Matt Thornton
Gregory Szewczyk
Gregory Szewczyk
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Two customers shopping for the same product on the same website at the same time may see two different prices. This scenario is a growing reality in today's data-driven marketplace, and California regulators are paying attention. On Data Privacy Day 2026, California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced a new investigative sweep targeting "surveillance pricing"—a practice in which businesses use personal information to set individualized prices for consumers. For online retailers and service providers, this probe raises important questions about how customer data is collected, used, and disclosed.

The California Consumer Privacy Act secures several key privacy rights for California consumers, including:

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