City Council

The Seattle City Council has voted to ban surveillance pricing in the sale of groceries, prohibiting retailers from setting individualized prices based on personal data collected about shoppers. Consumer advocacy groups, including Consumer Reports, welcomed the move as a first-of-its-kind consumer protection. Supporters say it blocks retailers from using browsing history, location data, and income estimates to charge different customers different prices for the same food.

Montreal's city council has adopted a bylaw prohibiting insults directed at police officers and municipal employees. The measure is intended to protect city workers from verbal abuse while performing their duties. The move has drawn attention and debate, as critics question how such a rule would be enforced and whether it could conflict with free expression protections.