Connect with us

Technology

Surveillance Pricing Bill Advances, AB 446 Stops Businesses From Setting Prices Based on Data, Says Consumer Watchdog

Published

12 months ago

on

LOS ANGELES, May 6, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — California’s landmark bill regulating surveillance pricing, AB 446 (Ward), advanced out of the Assembly Committee on Judiciary today by a vote of 8 to 3.

“Companies are using our data against us in ways that we fully don’t understand,” said Justin Kloczko, tech and privacy advocate at Consumer Watchdog. “We need a law preventing companies from using personal data to decide how much to charge each person.”

The bill was introduced by Assemblymember Chris Ward and is co-sponsored by Consumer Watchdog and the United Food and Commercial Workers Western States Council.

In an era of mass surveillance and rapidly accelerating AI, AB 446 prohibits businesses from using personal information of a consumer to adjust the price of goods, said Consumer Watchdog. Despite California having the strongest data privacy laws in America, there is nothing stopping companies from using personal data to set prices, said the nonprofit. 

“This is predatory. This is discriminatory,” said Ward during today’s Assembly Judiciary Committee hearing.

The bill proposes an outright ban on surveillance pricing, defining it as “offering or setting a customized price for a good or service for a specific consumer or group of consumers, based, in whole or in part, on covered information collected through electronic surveillance technology.”

This include data on a “consumer’s behavior, characteristics, location, or other personal attributes, whether in physical or digital environments.”

The bill has been amended to clarify exemptions. Examples of when surveillance pricing doesn’t happen include when:

The difference in price is based solely on the costs of providing the service to different consumers.A discounted price is offered based on publicly disclosed eligibility criteria, like signing up for a mailing list.A discounted price is offered to members of a group, like teachers, veterans, senior citizens, or students.A discounted price is offered through a loyalty program that consumers enroll in.

Bill supporters include the American Economic Liberties Project, Consumer Federation of America, EPIC, Consumer Reports, TechEquity, and Privacy Rights Clearinghouse. Those opposed to the bill include the California Chamber of Commerce, the American Advertising Federation, and the California Retailers Association. 

Assemblymember Ash Kalra, the committee chair, said the proposed law is not burdensome like industry opposition makes it seem.

“We don’t want surveillance technology to be used to separate people and charge them different prices,” said Kalra. “I think the outcomes then really take us down a dark path.” 

Last year, Consumer Watchdog outlined examples of pricing algorithms in a report titled “Surveillance Price Gouging.” Companies are trying to read people’s minds and anticipate how bad they want a product and how much they are willing to pay for it, based on data such as scrolling habits and geolocation, said the nonprofit. Orbitz deployed a pricing algorithm assuming that Mac users were wealthier than non-Mac users, and charged them more for hotel rooms. And despite Consumer Watchdog requesting identical rides with the same origin and destination, and the same distance and route traveled, one rider was charged $5 more on Lyft than the other person using Lyft. There shouldn’t be a reason for that, and it’s unclear why, said the nonprofit.

The Federal Trade Commission in the final days of the Biden Administrations said surveillance pricing does happen, but the FTC appears to have now bailed on the issue under the Trump FTC, said Consumer Watchdog. California legislators now have an opportunity to address surveillance pricing, said Consumer Watchdog. 

“A law regulating surveillance pricing is especially important during a time when grocery prices have increased, the data collected on us is incredibly detailed, and the unprecedented nature of corporate algorithms and AI,” said Kloczko. “This idea that every person has an individual price is a bad one.”

View a short Consumer Alert video on surveillance practice here.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/surveillance-pricing-bill-advances-ab-446-stops-businesses-from-setting-prices-based-on-data-says-consumer-watchdog-302447892.html

SOURCE Consumer Watchdog

Related Topics:
Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Technology

MATSON ANNOUNCES ADDITION OF 3 MILLION SHARES TO EXISTING SHARE REPURCHASE PROGRAM AND QUARTERLY DIVIDEND OF $0.36 PER SHARE

Published

26 minutes ago

on

April 23, 2026

By

HONOLULU, April 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The Board of Directors of Matson, Inc. (NYSE: MATX), a leading U.S. carrier in the Pacific, approved adding three million shares to its existing share repurchase program and extending the program to December 31, 2029.  As of April 23, 2026, the existing share repurchase program had approximately 0.7 million shares remaining.  The Board also declared a second quarter dividend of $0.36 per common share.  The dividend will be paid on June 4, 2026 to all shareholders of record as of the close of business on May 7, 2026.

“We are pleased to announce an additional three million shares to our existing share repurchase program,” said Matt Cox, Matson’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.  “Since we commenced our share repurchase program in August 2021, we have repurchased approximately 14.3 million shares, or approximately 33% of the then outstanding shares, for a total cost of $1.3 billion.  Going forward, we will continue to be both disciplined and opportunistic in our capital allocation, and we remain committed to returning excess cash to shareholders to create additional shareholder value over the long-term.” 

Shares will be repurchased in the open market from time to time at the Company’s discretion, based on ongoing assessments of the capital needs of the business, the market price of its common shares and general market conditions.  The Company may enter into Rule 10b5-1 plans to facilitate purchases under the program.  The repurchase program may be suspended or discontinued at any time.

About the Company

Founded in 1882, Matson (NYSE: MATX) is a leading provider of ocean transportation and logistics services.  Matson provides a vital lifeline of ocean freight transportation services to the domestic non-contiguous economies of Hawaii, Alaska, and Guam, and to other island economies in Micronesia.  Matson also operates premium, expedited services from China to Long Beach, California, which includes cargo from other Asia origins, provides services to Okinawa, Japan and various islands in the South Pacific, and operates an international export service from Alaska to Asia.  The Company’s fleet of owned and chartered vessels includes containerships, combination container and roll-on/roll-off ships and barges.  Matson Logistics, established in 1987, extends the geographic reach of Matson’s transportation network throughout North America and Asia.  Its integrated logistics services include rail intermodal, highway brokerage, warehousing, freight consolidation, supply chain management, and freight forwarding to Alaska.  Additional information about the Company is available at www.matson.com.

Forward Looking Statements

Statements in this news release that are not historical facts are “forward-looking statements,” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, that involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated by the relevant forward-looking statement, including but not limited to, statements about capital allocation plans, the timing, manner and volume of repurchases of common shares pursuant to the repurchase program, and use of excess cash.  These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance.  This release should be read in conjunction with our Annual Report on Form 10-K and our other filings with the SEC through the date of this release, which identify important factors that could affect the forward-looking statements in this release.  We do not undertake any obligation to update our forward-looking statements.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/matson-announces-addition-of-3-million-shares-to-existing-share-repurchase-program-and-quarterly-dividend-of-0-36-per-share-302752377.html

SOURCE Matson, Inc.

Continue Reading

Technology

Accord Specialty Pharmacy Named Finalist in MMIT’s 11th Annual Retail Specialty Pharmacy Patient Choice Awards

Published

1 hour ago

on

April 23, 2026

By

ORLANDO, Fla., April 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Accord Specialty Pharmacy, an independent specialty pharmacy serving patients across multiple states, has been named a finalist in the MMIT Patient Choice Awards, a recognition based on patient-reported satisfaction and experience.

Accord was selected as the only independent pharmacy among finalists in its category, alongside national pharmacy organizations such as Walgreens Specialty Pharmacy and Walmart Specialty Pharmacy. This distinction highlights the company’s commitment to delivering personalized, high-touch care for patients managing complex and chronic conditions.

The MMIT Patient Choice Awards recognize specialty pharmacies that demonstrate excellence in patient satisfaction, service quality, and overall care experience. Finalists are determined based on direct patient feedback, making the recognition a meaningful reflection of the trust patients place in their pharmacy providers.

“Being recognized alongside national organizations and as the only independent finalist validates our belief that personalized, patient-centered care drives better outcomes. We are building a model that combines clinical depth, national reach, and operational flexibility to better serve patients, providers, and partners.” said AJ Patel, Founder and Pharmacy Manager of Accord Specialty Pharmacy.

Accord Specialty Pharmacy supports patients across complex specialty categories, including oncology, rare disease, and infusion, through a clinically driven, high-touch care model designed to improve access, adherence, and outcomes. The company’s approach emphasizes personalized support, responsive care coordination, and strong clinical engagement to help patients navigate complex therapies more effectively. With a growing national footprint and multi-state licensure, Accord is positioned to support patients, providers, and partners across diverse markets.

For more information, visit MMIT Announces Finalists of the 11th Specialty Pharmacy Patient Choice Awards – MMITNetwork.

About Accord Specialty Pharmacy:

Accord Specialty Pharmacy is an ACHC-accredited, multi-state licensed independent specialty pharmacy located in Central Florida, dedicated to delivering high-quality, patient-centered care for individuals managing complex and chronic conditions. Through personalized support, clinical expertise, and a high-touch approach, Accord helps patients navigate every step of their treatment journey. Learn more at www.accordspecialty.com.

CONTACT: contact@accordspecialty.com

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/accord-specialty-pharmacy-named-finalist-in-mmits-11th-annual-retail-specialty-pharmacy-patient-choice-awards-302752327.html

SOURCE Accord Specialty

Continue Reading

Technology

HAIVISION ANNOUNCES VOTING RESULTS FROM 2026 ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS

Published

1 hour ago

on

April 23, 2026

By

MONTRÉAL, April 23, 2026 /CNW/ – Haivision Systems Inc. (“Haivision” or the “Company”) (TSX: HAI) is pleased to announce the voting results from its annual meeting of shareholders held today in a virtual format.

A total of approximately 45.97 % of the issued and outstanding common shares of Haivision were represented at the meeting.

Election of Directors

Each of the six nominated directors of Haivision was elected as director of the Company with the following results:

Director

Votes
For

% Votes
For

Votes
Against

% Votes
Against

Miroslav Wicha

11,110,245

99.26 %

82,583

0.74 %

Harvey Bienenstock

11,155,137

99.66 %

37,691

0.34 %

Robin M. Rush

11,121,855

99.37 %

70,973

0.63 %

Neil Hindle

10,794,005

96.44 %

398,823

3.56 %

Julie Tremblay

10,941,969

97.76 %

250,859

2.24 %

Lee K. Levy II

9,084,418

81.16 %

2,108,410

18.84 %

2.   Appointment of Auditors

Deloitte LLP were reappointed auditors of the Company for the ensuing year with 12,492,582 (98.84%) votes cast in favour and 146,406 (1.16%) votes withheld.

3.   Approval of the Unallocated Awards under the Company’s Equity Incentive Plan

The Company’s unallocated awards were approved with 8,710,347 (77.82%) votes cast in favour and 2,482,481 (22.18%) votes cast against.

4.   Reapproval of Company’s Shareholder Rights Plan

The Company’s shareholder rights plan was approved with 10,572,490 (94.46%) votes cast in favour and 620,338 (5.54%) votes cast against.

Final voting results on all matters voted on at the meeting will be filed under Haivision’s profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca.

About Haivision

Haivision is a leading global provider of mission-critical, real-time video streaming and visual collaboration solutions. Our connected cloud and intelligent edge technologies enable organizations globally to engage audiences, enhance collaboration, and support decision making. We provide high quality, low latency, secure, and reliable live video at a global scale. Haivision open sourced its award-winning SRT low latency video streaming protocol and founded the SRT Alliance to support its adoption. Awarded four Emmys® for Technology and Engineering from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, Haivision continues to fuel the future of IP video transformation. Founded in 2004, Haivision is headquartered in Montreal and Chicago with offices, sales, and support located throughout the Americas, Europe, and Asia. Learn more at haivision.com.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/haivision-announces-voting-results-from-2026-annual-meeting-of-shareholders-302752318.html

SOURCE Haivision Systems Inc.

Continue Reading

Trending