In July 2024 the FTC sent information-seeking orders to eight companies that “have publicly touted their use of AI and machine learning to engage in data-driven targeting,” says the agency’s chief technologist, Stephanie Nguyen. The orders are part of an effort to understand the scale of the practice, the kinds of user data that are being gathered, the ways algorithmic price adjustments might affect consumers, and the question of whether collusion or other anticompetitive practices could be involved. “The use of surveillance technology and private data to determine prices is a new frontier,” Nguyen says. “We want to bring more information about this practice to light.”