Surveillance Pricing: What It Is, Why It's Legal, and How to Protect Yourself

Interior of the Les Ateliers Gaite shopping center in the 14th arrondissement of Paris, France, on February 17, 2026. Television department in a Darty appliance store in Paris, with several screens displaying demonstration images and their price tags. The models shown are from different brands and ranges, displayed on a dedicated stand in a bright, commercial environment. (Credit: Photo by Riccardo Milani / Hans Lucas/AFP via Getty Images)

Imagine two people sitting next to each other on a plane, each having booked their seat on the same day, through the same website, for the same flight. One paid $280. The other paid $410. Or picture two neighbors ordering the same item on the same grocery delivery app at the same time — one gets charged $1,200 more per year than the other. This is not a glitch, a sale, or a coincidence. It is surveillance pricing, and it is already happening to you.

What Is Surveillance Pricing? How It Differs Dynamic Pricing