New Jersey Bans Surveillance Pricing, Freezes Electronic Shelf Labels for 1 Year
Updated
Updated · WABC-TV · Jul 23
New Jersey Bans Surveillance Pricing, Freezes Electronic Shelf Labels for 1 Year
3 articles · Updated · WABC-TV · Jul 23
Summary
Gov. Mikie Sherrill signed the Fair Price Protection Act on Thursday, barring retailers from using shoppers’ personal data to set individualized prices and adding a one-year moratorium on electronic shelf labels.
The law targets what officials call surveillance pricing—using data such as online activity or spending habits to charge different customers different amounts for the same item, including through fast-changing digital displays.
New Jersey officials said the measure is meant to ease grocery costs as families already face higher prices from broader pressures including tariffs and the war in Iran.
Violations carry fines of $10,000 for a first offense and $20,000 for later ones, making the statute one of the strongest state-level crackdowns on the practice.
Connecticut and Maryland already ban surveillance pricing, and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul is reviewing similar legislation as Democratic-led states push wider limits.