US Regulator Demands Answers From Nine Major Brands on How Personal Data Drives Prices and Worker Pay

The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has ordered nine companies to hand over detailed information on how they use personal data to set prices for individual customers and pay for individual workers. The orders went to JetBlue, Delta, United, Lyft, Uber, DoorDash, Instacart, Walmart and Target. The companies have 45 days to respond, and the agency can force compliance in federal court if they do not.

The FTC wants to assess whether the price of a ticket, ride or food delivery differs from one person to the next based on factors such as loyalty program participation or algorithmic analysis of personal data. Companies that use gig workers must also disclose the "inputs, tools and procedures" they use to adjust pay and pricing. FTC chair Andrew Ferguson said the agency will examine the "opaque methodology" involved, including whether firms use browsing data to estimate the highest price a customer will pay, or the lowest pay a worker will accept.

The move follows a July 2024 order to eight companies about surveillance-driven pricing. Preliminary findings were released in January 2025 by then-chair Lina Khan, but Ferguson objected, closed that probe and said he would not release the full findings. The FTC can seek this information for studies without a specific law enforcement purpose.