A recent survey indicates that nearly 70% of Americans are worried that surveillance pricing will increase the cost of goods, particularly groceries. Surveillance pricing refers to the use of algorithms to adjust prices based on customers’ personal data, resulting in different prices for the same products among different shoppers.

The poll, conducted by GBAO Strategies and shared by the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, found that 68% of respondents believe this pricing strategy will lead to higher grocery bills. Meanwhile, 20% of those surveyed think surveillance pricing will have no impact on prices, and 5% expect it will lower costs.

The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union is advocating for state-level bans on surveillance pricing, arguing that the practice unfairly inflates prices for consumers by exploiting their data.

The survey underscores growing consumer apprehension over data-driven pricing models and their potential to affect everyday expenses. The differing views among respondents reflect ongoing debates about the fairness and transparency of algorithm-based pricing in retail.