HARRISBURG – Legislation introduced by state Reps. Andre Carroll and Ben Waxman, both D-Phila., that would prevent surveillance pricing by ride-hailing companies has passed out of the House. “Surge pricing” is already a tool that ride-hailing companies use to increase the rates of a ride based on higher demand in a particular area. These companies also reportedly use surveillance pricing to track personal data on users’ phones, such as their battery being low, their purchase history or specific demographics. Pennsylvania is now joining states like California, Georgia, Illinois, Colorado and New York in their efforts to set up regulations around surveillance pricing, coming after the federal government has scaled back on digital protections for consumers. HB 2512 now moves to the state Senate for consideration.
