Intro 891 and Intro 892 drew testimony at a June 17, 2026 Committee on Consumer and Worker Protection hearing about banning “surveillance pricing” and limiting how often grocery stores can raise item prices; witnesses including the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP), the New York State Office of the Attorney General (OAG), the Retail Council of New York State, and the Public Advocate offered support, opposition, and technical suggestions. Source: https://youtu.be/wjSrsmMzHps&t=212
# What’s happening
– Committee on Consumer and Worker Protection held a hearing on Intro 891 and Intro 892 on June 17, 2026. Source: https://youtu.be/wjSrsmMzHps&t=212
– Intro 891 would prohibit sellers from engaging in surveillance pricing based on personal data. Source: https://youtu.be/wjSrsmMzHps&t=212
– Intro 892 would bar grocery stores from increasing an item’s price more than once in 24 hours. Source: https://youtu.be/wjSrsmMzHps&t=1029
# Why it matters
– New York City shoppers who use online retailers, delivery platforms, or grocery stores could face fewer algorithm-driven price differences. Source: https://youtu.be/wjSrsmMzHps&t=1185
– Small grocers, frontline workers, and shoppers may see fewer sudden price spikes during a single shopping trip. Source: https://youtu.be/wjSrsmMzHps&t=392
# Key details
– Hearing date: June 17, 2026, Committee on Consumer and Worker Protection, New York City Council. Source: https://youtu.be/wjSrsmMzHps&t=212
– Intro 891 defines surveillance pricing as prices set using personal data gathered through surveillance technology. Source: https://youtu.be/wjSrsmMzHps&t=212
– Intro 892 would prohibit grocery stores from increasing a specific item’s price more than once every 24 hours. Source: https://youtu.be/wjSrsmMzHps&t=1029
– DCWP (Department of Consumer and Worker Protection) stated it supports both Intro 891 and Intro 892 and urged additional enforcement resources and drafting changes. Source: https://youtu.be/wjSrsmMzHps&t=1029
– Investigations cited in testimony found grocery stores can change electronic shelf prices up to 2,000 times per day and delivery-platform price tests produced differences up to 23% on identical items. Source: https://youtu.be/wjSrsmMzHps&t=392
– The Retail Council of New York State supported banning price-increasing surveillance practices but opposed language that it said would restrict ordinary discounts and promotions. Source: https://youtu.be/wjSrsmMzHps&t=4358
Julie Menin (speaker who sponsored Intro 891) and Majority Leader Shauna Abrao (sponsor of Intro 892) were identified in earlier Council briefings as lead sponsors; earlier coverage noted City Council framing that passage could make New York City the first U.S. jurisdiction to ban surveillance pricing. (This earlier coverage is separate from the June 17 hearing.) Source (earlier coverage): https://youtu.be/HLNVIKzlCjk?t=436
**Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP)**
– Role: City agency that enforces consumer protection laws.
– Action: Testified in support of Intro 891 and Intro 892 and requested additional enforcement resources.
– Relevant detail: Asked the Council to consider adding a private right of action and extra recordkeeping for Intro 892. Source: https://youtu.be/wjSrsmMzHps&t=1029
**New York State Office of the Attorney General (OAG)**
– Role: State agency enforcing consumer protection and privacy laws.
– Action: Testified in support of an outright ban on surveillance pricing.
– Relevant detail: Cited limits of disclosure-only laws and urged a ban to protect affordability. Source: https://youtu.be/wjSrsmMzHps&t=3043
**Retail Council of New York State**
– Role: Trade group for retail businesses in New York State.
– Action: Supported banning automatic price increases but opposed bill text that would restrict common discounts.
– Relevant detail: Raised concerns about required public posting of pricing policies and impacts on promotions. Source: https://youtu.be/wjSrsmMzHps&t=4358
The City Council committee opened the June 17 hearing by defining the two practices at issue. Surveillance pricing is the practice of setting or adjusting prices based on a consumer’s personal information collected through surveillance technology. Dynamic pricing is changing prices in real time using market data. Source: https://youtu.be/wjSrsmMzHps&t=212
Witnesses described how surveillance pricing and dynamic pricing appear in real-world examples. Investigations cited by the committee found grocery chains using digital shelf labels that allow rapid price changes and delivery platforms running algorithmic experiments that produced price differences up to 23% for the same product. Source: https://youtu.be/wjSrsmMzHps&t=392
The Department of Consumer and Worker Protection said it supports Intro 891’s ban on surveillance pricing and Intro 892’s limit on grocery price changes, and recommended drafting changes. DCWP told the committee it may need additional staff and enforcement capacity to investigate complex, data-driven pricing practices. Source: https://youtu.be/wjSrsmMzHps&t=1029
The New York State Office of the Attorney General testified that disclosure-only rules are insufficient because consumers cannot reliably detect when they are being charged differently. The OAG signaled support for an outright ban on surveillance pricing to protect consumers and affordability. Source: https://youtu.be/wjSrsmMzHps&t=3043
The Retail Council of New York State told the committee it backs preventing automatic price increases targeted at individuals, but it opposed language it said would hinder common discounts such as loyalty rewards, cart-abandonment discounts, and purchase-history promotions. The group warned that some draft requirements could force retailers to disclose sensitive business information publicly. Source: https://youtu.be/wjSrsmMzHps&t=4358
Advocates including consumer groups and privacy organizations urged stronger enforcement tools. Multiple witnesses recommended adding a private right of action so consumers can sue over violations, and suggested recordkeeping requirements and clearer rules distinguishing legitimate discounts from discriminatory pricing. Source: https://youtu.be/wjSrsmMzHps&t=6127
Committee members asked how enforcement would work against largely invisible, algorithmic pricing. DCWP said enforcement will likely require outside partners, investigative testing (for example, coordinated simultaneous purchase tests), subpoenas, and additional resources for technical investigations. The agency recommended legislative language clarifying enforcement mechanisms. Source: https://youtu.be/wjSrsmMzHps&t=1390
Several witnesses highlighted equity concerns. The Public Advocate said surveillance pricing risks charging higher prices to people of color, low-income residents, and older adults on fixed incomes. Advocates noted older adults face higher risk from online, data-driven price differences. Source: https://youtu.be/wjSrsmMzHps&t=1185
Some practical examples were offered in testimony to illustrate algorithmic effects. Investigators found a television’s price rising when a customer pulled into a store parking lot, and a behavioral economist formerly at a ride‑hail company said apps raised fares when a rider’s phone battery was low. Source: https://youtu.be/wjSrsmMzHps&t=392
The committee did not vote on either bill at the June 17 hearing. Witnesses and the agency repeatedly requested follow-up drafting sessions to narrow exemptions for legitimate discounts and to add enforcement details. Source: https://youtu.be/wjSrsmMzHps&t=1390
In earlier Council briefings (separate from the June 17 hearing), sponsors framed the legislation as an effort to make New York City the first U.S. jurisdiction to ban surveillance pricing and to limit dynamic grocery price changes to once per 24 hours. That earlier framing was presented during a May 14, 2026 meeting. Source (earlier coverage): https://youtu.be/HLNVIKzlCjk?t=436
This article is based only on testimony and materials presented at the New York City Council Committee on Consumer and Worker Protection hearing on June 17, 2026. Source: https://youtu.be/wjSrsmMzHps&t=212
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