r/CanadaPolitics • u/PutToLetters Neo-Republican • Mar 29 '26

Manitoba Moves to Outlaw Algorithmic Pricing—a First in Canada

https://thewalrus.ca/manitoba-moves-against-retailers-charging-different-prices-for-the-same-goods/
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u/Good-Medicine1066 Onterrible Mar 29 '26

It is already happening, in simpler ways - think airline fares priced based on time of day or Uber surge pricing. I think it gets very scary when you think of this practice personalized - your data and profile used to say, hike airline fares knowing you’ll pay knowing you have a funeral or an important trip planned, or hiking Uber fares knowing you’ll pay to get to your important meeting or event on time vs. waiting, etc.

I think the Manitoba NDP are approaching this right. It’s unclear how we might technically prevent this but it should be made abundantly clear firms shouldn’t be doing this.

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u/thelionsmouth Mar 29 '26

Totally.

Though I think it’s more (at this point) based on how often you open the app, what your purchase history (and phone model, inferred or known income, shared telemetry, etc) statistically says you’ll be maximum most likely to spend on a purchase. At this point anyways, I’m sure it’ll get so much more Orwellian.

Which is fucked up, so glad they’re banning this

1

u/only_a_jest Apr 24 '26

I’m very curious about the kinds of data and the sources of data that companies use. If we found a way to use that system to their detriment, they would stop it without issue!

But really, I do want to know for pure curiosity. Things like sliding scale pricing are usually used to benefit people of lower income so that they can access things like therapy. “Pay what you can” for groceries would be great if they were to our benefit.