The US Federal Trade Commission has ordered nine large companies to hand over detailed information about how they use customers' personal data to set prices and workers' pay. The orders, issued under section 6(b) of the FTC Act, went to Delta, United and JetBlue, Lyft, Uber, DoorDash and Instacart, Target and Walmart. Each company has 45 days from receiving its order to respond. The regulator says the material will feed a study of personalised pricing and wage-setting, and stressed that the orders are not a finding that any company broke the law.

What the regulator wants to know

The orders ask firms to explain which pieces of personal information feed into pricing and pay decisions, from loyalty scheme membership and browsing history to location and income, and to describe the software, formulas and outside vendors involved. For airlines and retailers, the focus is whether different shoppers see different prices for the same product. For ride-hailing and delivery platforms, the FTC also wants to know whether a driver's phone use or record of accepting jobs affects the work and pay they are offered.

Companies push back on the claims

FTC chair Andrew Ferguson said consumers deserve to know whether firms estimate the highest price each shopper will pay, and workers deserve to know whether their data affects their earnings. Delta said it has never used, tested or planned any fare product that targets customers with individual offers based on personal data, while JetBlue said all customers see the same fares. The inquiry follows a 2024 study that looked only at intermediary firms; this time the FTC is going directly to the businesses that set prices.

Sources: Reuters via WNCY, ConsumerAffairs.