New Jersey Enacts Landmark Ban on Surveillance Pricing to Combat Rising Grocery Costs

New Jersey’s governor signed sweeping legislation Thursday that prohibits retailers from using surveillance pricing technology to charge different prices to individual customers based on personal data. The measure represents among the most aggressive state-level restrictions on the controversial pricing practice, which has drawn increasing scrutiny from consumer advocates and lawmakers nationwide.

Surveillance pricing systems rely on sophisticated data collection and analytics to identify customers’ willingness to pay, enabling merchants to adjust prices dynamically for individual shoppers. Critics argue the technology disproportionately harms low-income consumers and elderly residents who lack access to comparison shopping tools and digital resources.

The legislation closes a significant gap in consumer protections by explicitly forbidding retailers from implementing such discriminatory pricing mechanisms in grocery stores and other retail establishments. Legal experts view the New Jersey law as a potential template for other states considering comparable restrictions on opaque pricing strategies.