Justin Kloczko

1 month ago | consumerwatchdog.org | Justin Kloczko

By Justin Kloczko, SAN FRANCISCO STANDARDhttps://sfstandard.com/opinion/2025/05/27/were-not-watching-prices-prices-are-watching-usYou’re at home, scrolling online to find a nearby store to buy a TV. You find one, drive to the store and park, then pull up the same TV on your phone. The price jumps from $499 to $599. Why? The retailer is betting that the closer people are, the more they are willing to pay.

1 month ago | sfstandard.com | Justin Kloczko

You’re at home, scrolling online to find a nearby store to get a TV. You find somewhere, drive to the store and park, then pull up the same TV on your phone. The price jumps from $499 to $599. Why? The retailer is betting that the closer people are to their doors, the more money they are willing to pay. This actually happened with Target, and the company agreed in 2022 to pay $5 million in civil penalties.

1 month ago | consumerwatchdog.org | Justin Kloczko

Los Angeles, CA—California’s bill regulating surveillance pricing, AB 446 (Ward), moves to the Senate after passing a State Assembly floor vote this afternoon, 44-16. The bill is now expected to be heard by the Senate Judiciary Committee. “Companies are using personal data against us to charge people different prices for the same exact product,” said Justin Kloczko, tech and privacy advocate at Consumer Watchdog. “They want to know how bad you want that hat and charge you as much as possible.

1 month ago | consumerwatchdog.org | Justin Kloczko

Los Angeles, CA—California’s landmark bill regulating surveillance pricing, AB 446 (Ward), advanced out of the Assembly Committee on Judiciary today by a vote of 8 to 3. “Companies are using our data against us in ways that we fully don’t understand,” said Justin Kloczko, tech and privacy advocate at Consumer Watchdog.

1 month ago | consumerwatchdog.org | Justin Kloczko

After enormous pushback from large companies, the governor and from within, California’s top privacy agency today approved a package of gutted regulations surrounding personal information and automated decisions deployed by businesses. Perhaps most significantly, the definition of what constitutes an automated decision has been narrowed to systems that “substantially facilitate” a decision.