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6h ago

FTC Orders Data From Walmart, Uber, Airlines and Delivery Platforms on Personalized Pricing

It will test whether opaque algorithmic use of personal data produces unfair prices or pay.

A sign posted outside a Target store states the company is hiring in Encinitas, California, U.S., March 30, 2026. REUTERS/Mike Blake/File Photo
Federal Trade Commission seal is seen at t FTC Headquarters in Washington, U.S., July 24, 2019. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas/File Photo
A customer loads her groceries at a checkout counter at a Walmart Supercenter retail store in North Bergen, New Jersey, U.S., November 21, 2025. REUTERS/Mike Segar/File Photo
A delivery worker past a DoorDash bag in New York, US, on Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2026. DoorDash Inc. is in advanced talks to acquire Instacart parent Maplebear Inc. for roughly $17 billion, according to people familiar with the matter. Photographer: Michael Nagle/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Overview

  • The FTC, which sent formal information demands on Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026, ordered nine firms including Walmart, Target, Uber, Lyft, DoorDash, Instacart, Delta, United and JetBlue to turn over documents about how they set prices, wages and job offers.
  • The agency asked for detailed material on the types of personal data used—such as location, browsing history and income—and how algorithms or AI tools determine individualized offers so it can publish a study to guide regulators and lawmakers.
  • The FTC said it can seek a federal court order to compel compliance if companies do not produce the requested records within the time frame specified in the demands.
  • Several targeted companies have publicly denied using personal data to set individualized prices or fares, while industry groups defend data-driven discounts as customer incentives and legal; the FTC has said non-disclosure could violate consumer protection laws.
  • The probe follows a January 2025 FTC report on third-party pricing tools and comes as more than 30 states consider pricing-related bills and the agency's proposed disclosure policy remains open for comment through Nov. 21, 2026, raising the prospect of new transparency rules and enforcement that could affect shoppers and gig workers.