GoKawiil
Tech News
Author Lindsay Owens argues in her new book Gouged that surveillance pricing—where companies use personal data to set individualized prices—does not benefit ordinary shoppers as often claimed. She disputes the notion that such pricing acts like a 'Robin Hood' mechanism, charging wealthier customers more and poorer customers less.
Lindsay Owens, CEO of Groundwork Collaborative and former economic adviser to Senator Elizabeth Warren, discusses her new book 'Gouged: The End of a Fair Price and What That Means for Your Wallet' in an interview timed to its release. She argues that software and algorithmic tools have enabled companies to move away from fixed pricing toward personalized, variable pricing that can disadvantage consumers, and warns that generative AI could accelerate this trend.