Lindsay Owens calls for 'Shoppers' Bill of Rights' to fight corporate price gouging
Economic sociologist argues data brokers and AI pricing tools enable manipulative pricing; urges regulation and consumer uprising.
What to know
- Economist Lindsay Owens argues corporate pricing shifted from cost-cutting to aggressive revenue-side increases around 2021, enabled by data brokers holding 95% of Americans' personal data and AI pricing systems.
- Data-mining companies like EverSight, Kronos, and Plexure allow retailers to run personalized pricing experiments and use AI to steer consumers toward higher-priced items.
- Owens proposes a "Shoppers' Bill of Rights" including bans on price-coordination software and requirements that AI shopping assistants prioritize consumer interests over corporate profit.
- She argues nothing short of a consumer uprising and tough new federal and local rules can fix the "reinvention of the rip-off" undermining Americans' trust in the economy.
“Their costs were going up but they weren't too worried about it. They were planning to pass all of their rising costs along to us, and they were pretty bullish about gilding the lily and going for more.”
Lindsay Owens, Economic sociologist · The Guardian ↗ · Sep 27
Lindsay Owens Economic sociologist; head of Groundwork Collaborative
How it unfolded 2 developments, newest first · click a bar or a number to jump articlesposts
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Owens amplifies message on Bluesky about opaque corporate pricing
Owens posts on Bluesky emphasizing that American shoppers are frustrated not only with high prices but with the opaque and manipulative methods companies use to set them, promoting her Guardian interview.
“American shoppers are fed up—with high prices AND the opaque, manipulative ways that corporate America sets them.”
— Lindsay Owens -
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American shoppers are fed up—with high prices AND the opaque, manipulative ways that corporate America sets them. Thrilled to talk with Heather Timmons in @theguardian.com on why I wrote “Gouged”—and how a Shoppers’ Bill of Rights can help us fight for a fair price.
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Owens proposes 'Shoppers' Bill of Rights' with regulatory fixes
The book concludes with policy recommendations including bans on companies using shared software to coordinate prices, requirements that AI shopping assistants act in consumers' best interest rather than steer them to higher-priced items, and other government interventions.
“A cost of living crisis is the right time to build the constituency for a revived consumer movement in this country.”
— Lindsay Owens -
background
Owens identifies data brokers and AI as central to corporate price gouging — In an interview with The Guardian, Owens explains that data-mining companies like EverSight, Kronos, and Plexure—which hold thousands of data points on 95% of adults—enable retailers to run personalized pricing experiments and manipulate consumer behavior through AI-powered systems.
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background
Lindsay Owens publishes 'Gouged,' arguing corporate pricing has become manipulative — Economic sociologist Lindsay Owens releases "Gouged: The End of a Fair Price – and What That Means for Your Wallet," detailing how companies shifted from cost-cutting to aggressive revenue-side price increases starting around 2021, enabled by data brokers and AI pricing technologies.
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first by Mastodon, 20h ago · also Guardian US