FTC

Retail industry groups are calling on the Federal Trade Commission to revise or reconsider its guidance on personalized pricing, the practice of setting different prices for different customers based on their data. The trade associations argue the FTC's current approach is unclear or overly restrictive, and they want clearer rules on when data-driven price discrimination could violate consumer protection laws.

The Federal Trade Commission is weighing a proposal on personalized pricing, and reaction is divided. Industry groups are pushing back against potential restrictions, arguing individualized pricing practices can be legitimate, while consumer advocates support greater scrutiny of practices that charge different customers different prices based on their data. The debate touches on privacy, fairness, and how far regulators should go.

Bitcoin climbed to $86,000 even as the Federal Reserve continued raising interest rates, a move that has puzzled traders since higher rates typically pressure risk assets. VanEck's Matthew Sigel and a former CFTC chair offered explanations, pointing to demand dynamics and institutional interest as possible drivers behind the cryptocurrency's resilience.

A civil rights coalition is calling on the US Federal Trade Commission to ban the use of AI-driven surveillance pricing in housing and consumer markets. The practice involves companies using personal data and algorithmic tools to set individualised prices, which the coalition argues can lead to discrimination against protected groups and unfair costs for consumers. The group is pressing regulators to treat the practice as a civil rights and consumer protection issue.

Linxon, Hitachi Energy and FTC Solar have signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate on utility-scale solar and battery energy storage projects in North America. The agreement links Linxon's substation and grid connection experience with Hitachi Energy's power technology and FTC Solar's solar tracking systems, positioning the three companies to pursue the region's rapidly growing demand for large renewable energy and storage installations.