Seattle’s City Council approved an ordinance Sept. 22 barring grocery retailers with 20 or more locations from using AI and shoppers’ personal data to set different prices for the same items. Traditional coupons and discounts for veterans and seniors remain allowed.
The ordinance also requires covered retailers to disclose the criteria for discounts and clearly display prices in stores. Smaller chains such as PCC and Metropolitan Market are excluded; Albertsons-owned Safeway and Kroger’s QFC stores could be covered.
New York became the first state to regulate automated pricing in 2025, requiring disclosure for technology-assisted pricing. Lawmakers in New Jersey, Maryland, Minnesota, Oklahoma and Tennessee have considered similar bans.
