New law aims to make groceries more affordable in New Jersey by banning surveillance pricing
NEWARK, New Jersey (WABC) -- A new bill signed into law by Gov. Mikie Sherrill on Thursday aims to make groceries more affordable by banning surveillance pricing.
Surveillance pricing is when companies use personal data to set and adjust what their customers pay at the register.
The legislation signed Thursday is one of the nation's strongest bans on the practice.
Sherrill had promised to ban the practice, calling it "outrageous."
The legislation, called the Fair Price Protection Act, was passed last month and was awaiting the governor's signature.
New Jersey's law is the first to include a one-year moratorium on the use of electronic shelf labels, which show prices on a digital display that critics argue allow for easier price changes.
A growing number of Democratic-led states are opposing the practice over fears that companies will use people's personal information to gouge customers by determining the maximum amount someone is willing to pay for an item.
Connecticut and Maryland already outlaw surveillance pricing.
In New York, Gov. Kathy Hochul is currently reviewing similar legislation.
----------
* Get Eyewitness News Delivered
* Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts
* Download our connected TV app
Submit a tip or story idea to Eyewitness News
Have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. If attaching a video or photo, terms of use apply.
