Sacramento, CA – Assembly Bill 446 (AB 446), also known as the Surveillance Pricing Protection Act, a piece of legislation that would prohibit surveillance pricing in California, failed to advance in the California Legislature this week. Assemblymember Christopher Ward, who introduced the measure, held the bill after the Senate appropriations committee imposed amendments that weakened the bill so significantly that he did not want to advance it.
Consumer Reports co-sponsored and strongly supported AB 446, which sought to prohibit the use of a consumer’s personal data gathered by electronic surveillance technology to set a customized price. The United Food and Commercial Workers Western States Council and Consumer Watchdog also co-sponsored the bill.
“Californians should not have to worry that the personal information companies collect about them, such as their browsing history, location, or personal characteristics will be used to charge them a different price than their neighbor,” said Grace Gedye, policy analyst for AI issues at Consumer Reports. “While we are disappointed that the Surveillance Pricing Protection Act did not pass this year, we applaud the leadership of Assemblymember Christopher Ward for tackling the issue of surveillance pricing. We look forward to working with Assemblymember Ward and the California Legislature during the next legislative session to push back against these unfair practices.”
For additional information about surveillance pricing and how states across the country are tackling the issue, visit CR’s 2025 bill tracker.
Contact: cyrus.rassool@consumer.org