KEY POINTS

The FTC is investigating how companies use personal and behavioral data to set individualized prices.

Critics say surveillance pricing threatens consumer welfare and may cross constitutional lines.

A lack of robust data privacy protections is at the heart of the issue, according to experts

They know who you are, where you live, how much money you make and where you spent your last vacation.

They’re watching what websites you visit, tracking your mouse movements while you’re there and what you’ve left behind in virtual shopping carts. Mac or PC? iPhone or Android? Your preferences have been gathered and logged.

And they’ve got the toolkit, powered by artificial intelligence software, to assemble all this information to zero in on exactly how much you’re likely willing to pa

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