Surveillance Pricing in Canada
- 10 hours ago
- 2 min read
Will different people pay different prices for the exact same product in the same store?
OTTAWA April 13 2026 - NDP Leader Avi Lewis used his first major press conference on Parliament Hill today to call for a ban on surveillance pricing.
Standing outside the Centre Block on April 13, 2026, Lewis told reporters that retailers are using personal data to charge different people different prices for the exact same item.
He gave the example of a parent with a sick baby being charged a higher price for medicine or a thermometer based on internet search history.
Lewis stated: “This means that two different people could pay two different prices for the exact same product in the same store or on the same website on the same day. It’s unfair, it’s a ripoff, and it’s downright creepy. And it’s time to put a stop to it.”
He added: “Big Tech is teaming up with retailers, including grocery giants, to spy on Canadians and gouge them even more.”
Lewis did not add or release any specific documents, reports, studies, or evidence at the April 13, 2026 press conference to directly back up his statements.
The NDP's new leader said he is calling on the Carney government to implement a national ban on surveillance pricing before it becomes the predatory new normal.
The NDP plans to introduce a motion in the House of Commons on Wednesday calling for a full federal prohibition on the practice.
What is surveillance pricing?
Surveillance pricing (also known as algorithmic or personalized pricing) is the practice where retailers and online platforms use personal data, such as search history, location, loyalty app information, browsing behaviour, or device data, to set different prices for the same product for different customers, often charging people more based on what the algorithm thinks they are willing or able to pay.
Surveillance Pricing in Canada