FTC asks Walmart, Uber for data on pricing

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has asked Walmart, Uber, Delta and seven other companies for information on how they use personal data such as location, browsing history and income to set individual prices, wages or job offers. According to Reuters, the agency will use that information to prepare a study for regulators and lawmakers.

What does the FTC want to review?

The FTC wants to examine whether companies use opaque methods to determine how much consumers pay and how much platform workers receive. That aim was attributed to FTC Chair Andrew Ferguson in a Yahoo News report, which focused on algorithmic pricing and compensation systems.

The request covers nine companies in total and centers on personalized pricing and payment practices. Reuters said the demand includes data such as location, browsing history and income, along with how those variables are fed into commercial decisions.

What must the companies provide?

The companies have 45 days to respond and must provide information on methodologies, tools, algorithms and tests conducted since Jan. 1, 2023. That scope was detailed in CiberCuba's coverage, which also noted that the request does not mean the FTC has found a violation.

The documentation request opens a window into how internal systems influence prices, wages and offers. The available material does not mention a sanction or any prior finding of noncompliance, only a data collection effort for an official study.