UFCW Testifies Against Costs of Surveillance Pricing

Today, the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) International Union, which represents 1.2 million essential workers across the United States and Canada, testified at the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism’s hearing: “Your Data, Their Profit: The Consumer Cost of AI Surveillance Pricing.” UFCW Policy Counsel Hillary Caron served as a witness for the subcommittee, led by Senators Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) and Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), and exposed the damaging effects of surveillance pricing and electronic shelf labels on consumers and workers in grocery stores.

In her opening statement, Hillary Caron, policy counsel at the UFCW International Union, testified:

“On their own, ESLs [electronic shelf labels] are merely a piece of hardware to display prices. The problem is that they are not used on their own. They are connected to stores’ inventory systems, point of sale systems, and pricing systems, which use consumer data and AI to set prices in a way that maximizes profits. They can even be connected to cameras and sensors that track you as you move through the store, capturing how long you look at an item and showing you personalized ads.

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“Groceries are a necessity, not a luxury. Companies should not be able to use your online history, past purchases, or location information to charge you a higher price for the food your family needs to live.”