New Yorkers Demand Action to Make Prices Fair and Transparent
New polling from Groundwork Action and Data for Progress finds that 75% of New Yorkers believe surveillance pricing – the use of personal data by companies to set prices and determine discounts – is fundamentally unfair. While the state’s surveillance pricing disclosure law is very popular (72% support), even more voters (77%) believe disclosure is not enough and say New York lawmakers should ban the practice altogether.
While loyalty programs and personalized discounts are popular, favorability plummets 74 points once New Yorkers learn that companies use personal data to set prices and determine who receives discounts. Nearly 80% say companies should not be allowed to use personal data in pricing because “every customer should be charged the same price,” while 74% of voters say that companies benefit more from the practice than consumers themselves.
New Yorkers are not persuaded by opponents of surveillance pricing bans who say the proposals will affect loyalty programs and digital coupons. Instead, a majority (62%) agree that the ban would only restrict companies’ ability to charge different customers different prices.
New Yorkers are virtually unanimous – 98% express concern about the cost of living – and their message for policymakers is clear: take action to ensure fair and transparent prices. Notably, strong majorities across party lines say they’d accept smaller discounts on average if it means everyone gets the same deals.
Voters Say Disclosure Is Not Enough: Albany Should Ban Surveillance Pricing
While New Yorkers support the state’s recently enacted law that requires companies to disclose when personal data is used to set prices, large majorities across party lines want state lawmakers to ban surveillance pricing altogether.
- When voters learn about the recent disclosure law, 72% of voters support it.
- However, 77% of New Yorkers believe lawmakers should go further and ban surveillance pricing because “it’s not enough to just require [companies] to report it.”
- Cracking down on corporate price gouging, supporting small businesses, and lowering the cost of essential items are among voters’ top economic priorities, and majorities believe that banning surveillance pricing will have positive impacts on each goal.
Voters Say Surveillance Pricing Is Unfair and a Ban Would Help Small Businesses
An overwhelming majority of New York voters say it is unfair for companies to use customers’ personal information to either charge different prices for the same products (75%) or determine the discounts customers receive (77%).
- Additionally, a majority (58%) say the surveillance pricing ban would be more helpful than harmful for small businesses who compete against large corporations.
- Nearly three in four New Yorkers (74%) say companies benefit more than customers when personal data is used to set prices.
Support for Loyalty Programs Plummets Once Voters Learn How Personal Data Is Used
When voters learn that companies use loyalty programs to collect personal data that helps set prices and determine personalized discounts, net favorability for loyalty programs plummets 74 points (+79 to +5).
- Support for companies using loyalty programs to offer personalized discounts drops 38 points (from 88% to 50%) when voters learn how companies’ programs collect and use personal data.
- Eight in ten New Yorkers say every customer should be charged the same price and companies should not be allowed to use personal data to charge different customers different prices.
- Most New Yorkers agree that everyone should be offered the same discounts, even if it means discounts are smaller on average.
Voters decidedly reject the central argument from opponents of the surveillance pricing ban, agreeing instead that the ban will only restrict companies’ ability to charge different consumers different prices for the same product.
Should a Surveillance Pricing Ban Pass, New Yorkers Want Governor Hochul to Sign It
A majority (55%; +15 net approval) of voters already approve of Governor Kathy Hochul’s approach to making life more affordable for everyday New Yorkers, but support would surge if she signed the proposed ban on surveillance pricing into law.
- Seventy-seven percent of New York voters would approve of Governor Hochul’s approach to affordability if she signed the proposal into law, a 22-point jump from her current baseline.
- However, if Governor Hochul vetoes the proposed ban, voters’ approval of her approach to affordability drops 9 points to 46% and erases her current +15 net advantage.