House Passes Ban on Ride-Share “Surveillance Pricing,” 198-4

Update, July 13:  A broader companion effort has emerged in the House. House Bill 1942, the Surveillance Pricing Act, would extend beyond ride-share to bar any Pennsylvania retailer from using personal data — location, browsing history, purchase history — to set individualized prices, mirroring a law New Jersey recently enacted. Advertised discounts (coupons, senior days) would still be allowed. The bill remains in committee with no vote scheduled.

What happened:
The House passed House Bill 2512 (Rep. Andre Carroll, D-Philadelphia), which would bar ride-share companies like Uber and Lyft from charging riders different prices based on personal data, with carve-outs for recognized discount groups like veterans or teachers. It passed 198-4 and moves to the Senate, where Sen. Lindsey Williams plans a broader companion bill extending the ban across additional sectors. 

Why it matters for Pennsylvania nonprofits:
Nonprofits serving older adults, people with disabilities, and low-income clients often rely on ride-share to fill transportation gaps for medical appointments and other essential services. Predictable, non-discriminatory pricing matters directly to organizations that budget for or reimburse client transportation. 

=====================================================================================================

Image by Mohamed Hassan from Pixabay