Lever Time Are Corporations Spying On You To Raise Your Prices? (With Lee Hepner)
Aug 7, 2025
Lee Hepner, an antitrust lawyer and Senior Legal Counsel at the American Economic Liberties Project, unpacks the alarming trend of surveillance pricing. He reveals how companies like Delta Airlines are leveraging personal data to set prices based on individual behavior and emotional states. The discussion dives into ethical implications, the impact on socio-economic groups, and potential regulatory measures. Hepner highlights the need for transparency and consumer protection as we face a future of personalized pricing schemes that could deepen economic inequality.
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Surveillance Pricing Exploits Personal Data
- Surveillance pricing means companies use AI to analyze personal data and charge the highest price a person is willing to pay.
- This practice can exploit emotional events like family emergencies to raise prices on things like airline tickets.
Data Mining Powers Price Discrimination
- At least 250 companies work with pricing consultants mining customer data for pricing strategies.
- Prices can be influenced by seemingly trivial data like mouse movements or abandoned shopping carts.
Rent-Fixing Software Allegations
- RealPage uses software to help landlords share sensitive data and collectively raise rents.
- This practice is alleged as rent price fixing and is illegal but hard to detect.
