Regulator demands companies explain how and why they charge different prices for the same product or service

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is demanding some of the US’s biggest airlines, ride-share companies and retailers divulge how they are using algorithms and loyalty programs to target customers and drivers with different prices and wages.

Nine companies – Delta, United, JetBlue, Lyft, Uber, DoorDash, Instacart, Target and Walmart – were named in the inquiry, which comes after investigations and lawsuits alleging consumers are charged different prices based on their buying histories and drivers paid different fares based on their personal histories.

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[–] 16 points 1 week ago* (6 children)

It's almost like airlines don't make sense as for-profit businesses. The margins are razor thin, they go out of business regularly, they are vital for society to function... so who does it benefit for airlines to be run for profit? Nationalize em.

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  • [–] 4 points 1 week ago (3 children)

    Air travel isn't a necessity, though. Society existed for a long time before it.

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  • [–] 10 points 1 week ago (2 children)

    Society has changed a lot since air travel was invented

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  • [–] 1 point 1 week ago (1 child)

    Haven't any of the many bailouts we've given them done that? They should have.

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  • [–] 3 points 1 week ago*

    In a functioning society maybe that's how it'd work. In our society? No it's basically just a way to funnel our tax dollars to corporations which in turn are incentivized to extract maximum profit from those same taxpayers without giving any ownership to the government representing those taxpayers.

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  • [–] 13 points 1 week ago (1 child)

    It's Trump's FTC, so I'm going to assume they're gathering this information to use against US citizens in some way.

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  • [–] 6 points 1 week ago

    Too bad nobody works at The FTC any longer

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  • 6 comments in c/latestagecapitalism@lemmy.world view that post
    [–] [S] 9 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (4 children)

    We'll see if any of this amounts to something good, but four states three states and Seattle have banned some flavor of algorithmic price gouging this year, so it may be that we get some leadership from the Fed.

    We'll see.

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  • [–] 2 points 1 week ago (3 children)
  • [–] [S] 3 points 1 week ago (2 children)

    Hey Beef. My memory is faulty. It was three states and Seattle, Washington.

    Maryland was the first, followed by Connecticut, and New Jersey, and then Seattle.

    I made a video on the topic earlier this year which touched on the emerging regulation.

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  • [–] 3 points 1 week ago (1 child)

    Oh cool, I’ll check it out, thank you!

    My state is not on that list, so I want to see how other states are addressing this so i can advocate for a similar approach here.

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  • [–] [S] 3 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

    Hell yeah. If I had to guess, I think 2/3 of the US states will have some flavor of a ban on it in the next two years. These companies have been speed-running malicious tech while they have the opportunity, since Donald refuses to regulate it and they know that won't last forever.

    Pay particular attention to whether a ban in your state regulates loyalty clubs or not, because loyalty clubs are a back-door method of surveillance pricing too.

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  • [–] 2 points 1 week ago

    The cynic in me thinks being forced to "divulge" via the FCC is corporate intellectual warfare

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  • 1 comment in c/technology@lemmy.world view that post

    We definitely need regulation on these algos and at the very minimum transparency of the algos themselves. It's been very clear to me that these companies are taking advantage of the riders and the drivers and double dipping based on information gathered from these individuals. Career drivers need to be provided insurance and have reimbursements for car maintenance. Honestly, there needs to be an open state sponsored exchange for these services. Right now these companies are so big they can do whatever they want and crush any competition easily. We need taxes to be taken before people get paid. It's not right to just expect people are able afford to pay taxes at the end of the year.

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