Governor Mikie Sherrill signed the Fair Price Protection Act, banning grocery stores from using a shopper's personal information to determine how much that individual should pay for the exact same product. The law also places a one-year freeze on installing new electronic shelf labels while the state studies whether the technology can facilitate individualized pricing. Retailers that violate the law can face lawsuits, refunds, permit suspensions, and fines reaching $20,000 for repeat violations.

Government is acknowledging that the technology exists to charge two people standing side by side different prices for the same loaf of bread simply because an algorithm has determined one of them is willing or forced to pay more. That is data exploitation masquerading as innovation.