1. United States
2. R.I.
3. Letter

I am writing to ask for your leadership at the federal level to address the growing threat of "surveillance pricing," the practice of using a consumer’s personal data to manipulate the prices they see online and in-store. In Rhode Island, our General Assembly is currently considering two critical bills: H 7849 and S 2428. These bills aim to prohibit algorithmic price increases based on personal data like location and browsing history. While Rhode Island’s recent Data Transparency and Privacy Protection Act (RIDTPPA) provides a strong foundation, specific bans on surveillance pricing are a necessary step to strengthen privacy rights and consumer protection. Individual state action is essential, but we need a unified federal standard to ensure that predatory, data-driven pricing models target no American. I urge you to support federal legislation that mirrors the protections currently under debate in Rhode Island and other leading states, such as New York and New Jersey. Our personal data should not be used as a tool to charge us more for everyday essentials. I look forward to hearing how you plan to address this issue in Congress.