Alfred Ng

Derek Kravitz, an investigative journalist at Consumer Reports, and Alfred Ng, a tech policy reporter for Politico, dive into the controversial world of surveillance pricing. They explore how Instacart uses customer data for price discrimination, revealing alarming findings from a live study on algorithm-based price changes. The discussion also touches on the legal gray areas surrounding these practices, consumer reactions, and the FTC's ongoing probe. With insights into the political landscape and legislative attempts to address these issues, their conversation is both enlightening and thought-provoking.

Alfred Ng, a POLITICO reporter specializing in data brokers, dives into the unsettling world of voter databases. He reveals how firms gather personal information to predict voter susceptibility to conspiracy theories, raising alarm over privacy and democracy. Ng discusses the implications of targeting political messages based on this data and the potential national security risks tied to political violence. With insights on how foreign adversaries exploit such data, the conversation sheds light on the ethical quagmire surrounding political ads.