Latest news with #Casar
Axios
28 minutes ago
- Politics
- Axios
What to know about Texas' proposed congressional map
Texas Republicans released a proposed new congressional district map Wednesday that targets Democrats in an attempt to create five new GOP seats ahead of the 2026 midterms. Why it matters: The move to redraw district boundaries in the middle of the decade is unusual, and comes as President Trump seeks to keep hold on the U.S. House. The effort is drawing pushback and will likely be challenged in court. Zoom in: The proposed map makes the following districts, currently represented by Democrats, more favorable to Republicans, per the Texas Tribune: 9th District, Al Green: The southern Houston seat would shift to eastern Houston. 28th District, Henry Cuellar: This heavily Hispanic South Texas seat would no longer extend into San Antonio's South Side. 32nd District, Julie Johnson: This Dallas area seat would extend into more rural areas. 34th District, Vicente Gonzalez: Another largely Latino South Texas district that would pick up more presumed Republican voters. 35th District, Greg Casar: This seat would shift from following Interstate 35 from Austin to San Antonio and instead include south Bexar County and more rural areas, completely excluding the Austin area. The draft map packs more Democratic voters into urban districts already represented by Democrats: U.S. Reps. Joaquin Castro in San Antonio, Sylvia Garcia in Houston and Jasmine Crockett in Dallas would continue to have safely blue seats. It could set up a blockbuster Democratic primary between Casar and U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, who represents the 37th District. What they're saying: Doggett said in a statement Wednesday that "Trump is taking a hatchet to chop up Austin and our state with the sole objective of maintaining his one-man rule. This is designed to eliminate accessibility, accountability and a strong voice for our shared values." "Merging the 35th and the 37th districts is illegal voter suppression of Black and Latino Central Texans," Casar said in a statement. "Everyone who cares about our democracy must mobilize against this illegal map," Casar added. Between the lines: The proposed map "really seeks to take advantage of the shifting loyalties of Texas Latino voters," SMU political science professor Matthew Wilson tells Axios. The proposal would increase the number of majority-Hispanic districts, Wilson adds. "That's possible because Hispanic voters have become more Republican," he said. "That's an effort to blunt race-based criticism they may get with this map." Democrats will "inevitably criticize the proposed maps as racist and partisan," Wilson said. "Whether racist or not, they're certainly partisan. But Republicans by drawing these maps have a fairly strong retort: 'You're not interested in protecting Hispanic representation, you're interested in protecting only Hispanic Democrats.'" Zoom out: The proposed map has largely avoided imperiling sitting Republicans, Wilson says. Reality check: The map is just a draft, and could still change. What's next: There will be a committee hearing on the proposed changes at the state Capitol 10am Friday.
CNN
4 hours ago
- Politics
- CNN
Texas Republicans release new House maps as they attempt to take 5 Democratic seats
Texas Republicans have released their highly anticipated plan for how to tip the balance in their favor in next year's midterms – redrawing the state's congressional map in favor of more GOP seats. Multiple Democratic sources said the new map shows that Republicans are attempting to gain five more congressional seats, which they hope will help their chances of holding onto the House majority in the 2026 midterms. Democrats plan to challenge the map in court. It's a potentially seismic moment for the House, with Democratic governors in states like California vowing to attempt the same tactics to help their party win more seats if Republicans did indeed do this in Texas – leading to what one House Democratic lawmaker described to CNN as a 'redistricting arms race.' The map – which was a top priority for President Donald Trump – targets multiple Democrats, including Rep. Greg Casar, whose Austin-area seat is completely eliminated. That would likely force him into a primary with another longtime liberal Democrat, Rep. Lloyd Doggett, in the Austin area. Casar vowed to 'fight back with everything we've got.' 'If Trump is allowed to rip the Voting Rights Act to shreds here in Central Texas, his ploy will spread like wildfire across the country,' Casar said in a statement. 'Everyone who cares about our democracy must mobilize against this illegal map.' It also seeks to oust the state's two South Texas Democrats, Reps. Henry Cuellar and Vicente Gonzalez, whose seats will become more GOP-leaning. Republicans also propose merging the seat of Rep. Al Green with a vacant seat held by the late Rep. Sylvester Turner, who died in office earlier this year. The new map features 30 districts that Trump would have won in 2024, up from 27 under the current map. In total, there are five more seats on the new map that Trump won by more than 10 percentage points. It also makes the two South Texas seats currently represented by Cuellar and Gonzalez more Republican-leaning. CNN's Arlette Saenz contributed to this report. This is a developing story and will be updated.
Fast Company
6 days ago
- Business
- Fast Company
Companies use this sneaky pricing trick to overcharge you. One lawmaker wants it banned
It's no secret companies are collecting data while consumers browse their sites. But some companies are doing more with the info than trying improve products or marketing efforts: They are adjusting prices for individual customers based on their personal data. This practice, known as 'surveillance pricing,' has become more common in recent years, with more companies embracing artificial intelligence as a tool to make real-time price changes for individual customers. However, a new bill aims to stop these companies in their tracks. Representative Greg Casar introduced the 'Stop AI Price Gouging and Wage Fixing Act of 2025' on July 23. While some states—such as California, Colorado, Georgia, and Illinois—have proposed similar bans, Casar's bill is the first at the federal level. 'Giant corporations should not be allowed to jack up your prices or lower your wages using data they got spying on you,' Casar said in a statement. 'Whether you know it or not, you may already be getting ripped off by corporations using your personal data to charge you more. This problem is only going to get worse, and Congress should act before this becomes a full blown crisis.' How surveillance pricing works Companies engaging in surveillance pricing use customer data taken from the cookies—text files containing data—or tracking pixels that continue to follow you after leaving their website, providing information on your online activity, preferences, location, and device. This data can then be analyzed by AI programs to help the companies determine a personalized price for their products or services. The ban would impact the pricing systems of numerous retailers that reportedly engage in the practice, from retailers that increase prices for pickup orders when you are close to a store, to rideshare apps that charge more when your phone battery is low. Similarly, Delta Airlines recently came under fire for plans to expand their use of AI-driven pricing. 'We've seen things like people's browsing history, device type, battery, location, and more, inform pricing that focuses on how much that individual might be willing to pay for something—preying on desperation rather than using fair market pricing,' Ben Winters, director of AI and data privacy at the Consumer Federation of America, told Fast Company. (The Consumer Federation of America is one of several consumer-interest organizations and advocacy groups that have endorsed the proposed bill, according to a statement by Casar's office.) One of the benefits of the bill, Winters says, is that it would 'draw clear lines in the sand prohibiting the use of AI systems' to apply data-driven pricing on consumers, and provide customers harmed by this practice the right to sue the company behind the AI-driven prices. 'Too few bills focused on AI and data abuse have this key feature,' Winters says. 'It's one of many reasons we support the bill.' The Federal Trade Commission would be the entity responsible for enforcing the ban against surveillance pricing, which would be treated as a violation of two existing FTC acts regarding 'unfair or deceptive acts or practices' and 'unfair methods of competition,' according to the proposed bill. Surveillance pricing may be more common than you think Last year, the Federal Trade Commission launched an investigation into surveillance pricing, hoping learn more about how companies were using personal data to change prices. The initial results, released in January, found that retailers were using everything from demographic and location information, to mouse movements and abandoned online shopping carts, to match prices to consumers. 'Retailers frequently use people's personal information to set targeted, tailored prices for goods and services—from a person's location and demographics, down to their mouse movements on a webpage,' FTC Chair Lina M. Khan said in a statement earlier this year. The new legislation would not impact higher prices that result from 'reasonable costs' the business takes on to serve different customers, or lower prices from discounts for teachers, veterans, seniors, students, or rewards program members. Lawmakers and advocates that support the bill suggest the ban could make a big difference for consumers struggling to find fair prices amid rising prices and economic uncertainty. 'The ability to compare prices, to rely on consistent prices, and to know why a price is being charged—this is what gives us the power to know if we are getting a fair deal,' Nidhi Hegde, executive director at the American Economic Liberties Project, said in a statement. 'Surveillance pricing destroys the social contract of the marketplace.'
Time of India
7 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Democrat congressman Greg Casar introduces bill to ban AI-driven price; slams ‘surveillance pricing'; seeks Republican support
Representational image US congressman Greg Casar has introduced a new bill to stop what he calls 'AI-driven price gouging'. The bill, called the Stop AI Price Gouging and Wage Fixing Act of 2025, targets companies that use personal data to charge customers different prices for the same product, a growing trend known as surveillance pricing. Casar, a Democrat from Texas, says tech companies are going too far by spying on people's habits and financial history. 'Prices should be based on supply and demand and based on how much it costs to make and sell a thing, not based on spying on you and using your private data," he told NBC News. The move follows a recent federal trade commission ( FTC ) report that found companies were using users' browser history, GPS location and shopping behaviour to silently adjust prices. The practice is common in e-commerce, and often powered by artificial intelligence. The FTC study, released in January just before president Biden left office, revealed that big firms like Mastercard, JPMorgan Chase, Accenture and McKinsey were among those feeding AI systems with consumer data. FTC chair Lina Khan called the system a 'black box' where users don't even realise they're being charged more based on hidden profiling. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Chic, Calming, Kid-Friendly—All on a Budget squarerooms Read More Undo Casar's bill would also prohibit companies from using AI to determine wages based on personal financial data rather than job performance. Several US states are also cracking down. New York passed a law requiring businesses to inform customers when prices are set using algorithms. California may soon follow. But Casar's bill is the first push for a national ban. The House is about to go into recess, so the bill won't move before September. But Casar hopes both parties can get behind it. 'You don't have to be a progressive Democrat to say these gigantic corporations in the tech world should not be spying on us and then using what they learn to put it into AI and make our life more expensive,' he said.
NBC News
23-07-2025
- Business
- NBC News
This congressman wants to ban companies from using your search history to set personalized prices
WASHINGTON — From raising the price of diapers for new parents who recently searched for them online to stores excluding regular customers from discounts because they are likely to buy the product anyway, companies are using personal data to set different price points for different people. The practice, known as 'surveillance pricing," has caught the attention of Rep. Greg Casar, D-Texas, who wants to ban it at the federal level. Personal data collection has become commonplace in the internet age, with major corporations farming information to tailor marketing and sales pitches specifically to individual consumers. But companies are now using location data, browsing history and demographic background to individualize prices. Casar believes this practice, which is often done using artificial intelligence, could stack the deck against consumers, leading to higher, uneven prices. The lawmaker, who leads the Congressional Progressive Caucus, told NBC News he wants to ensure that prices are set 'based on supply and demand and based on how much it costs to make and sell a thing, not based on spying on you and using your private data.' The Stop AI Price Gouging and Wage Fixing Act of 2025, which Casar will introduce Wednesday, would prohibit the use of surveillance-based price and wage setting at the federal level. The bill comes on the heels of a study by the Federal Trade Commission and as some states seek to ban surveillance pricing as well. Casar said there needs to be more transparency around the use of consumers' data and artificial intelligence. His bill would also prevent the use of AI to set wages based on personal data, like an individual's financial history, rather than performance. 'AI is a developing part of our lives, part of our world, but we need to make sure that it's used for good and not being exploited,' he said. 'We're already starting to see that, and if we don't intervene now and ban these sorts of price gouging and wage suppression right now, then I think it's just going to spread all over the economy.' Casar's legislation comes after the FTC released the initial findings of its study of surveillance pricing in January. That report, released just before then-President Joe Biden left office, found that a 'person's precise location or browser history can be frequently used to target individual consumers with different prices for the same goods and services.' The FTC's findings are based on information it requested from eight companies that use consumer data when pricing products: Mastercard, Revionics, Bloomreach, JPMorgan Chase, Task Software, PROS, Accenture and McKinsey & Co. Lina Khan, who chaired the FTC under Biden, oversaw the study. It is unclear what the future of the FTC's role will be on this issue under the Trump administration, as the agency's call for public input on surveillance pricing was stopped when new leadership came in. 'One of the most pernicious aspects of surveillance pricing is that people may have absolutely no idea that they're being targeted by it,' Kahn said in an interview with NBC News. 'It's a total black box.' Kahn said the technology is rapidly evolving making it easier for companies to forecast how much a consumer is able or willing to pay without them knowing. Kahn described surveillance pricing as the 'holy grail' for companies looking to maximize profits in e-commerce. 'We have quickly slipped into an environment where companies now increasingly have the ability to do this based on just the enormous troves of personal data that are being collected about us, they have the incentive to do it," Khan said, adding that 'unless law enforcers and lawmakers are very clear about these practices being prohibited, companies will think it's totally fair game.' Casar noted that Delta Air Lines is one company that is integrating AI into its pricing. On an investor call this month, Delta president Glen Hauenstein said the airline's goal is to have a fifth of all its fares set by an artificial intelligence program, up from 3% currently. But the company disputed in a statement that prices would be set based on personal information. 'There is no fare product Delta has ever used, is testing, or plans to use that targets customers with individualized offers based on personal information or otherwise,' the company said. 'Delta always complies with regulations around pricing and disclosures.' While Casar's legislation is the first at the national level, several state legislatures have attempted to take on the issue. For example, the New York State legislature passed and the governor signed legislation to require companies to disclose to consumers when a price is set by an algorithm using their data. The National Retail Federation, earlier this month, asked a federal court to block the New York law, arguing that it would 'unfairly malign a system that helps merchants give customers lower prices and personalized offers.' The California Assembly, meanwhile, passed a bill in May to stop businesses from using personal data when charging different prices for the same product. That legislation next heads to the California Senate. At the federal level, the House of Representatives is leaving for its August recess this week, so no action can be taken on Casar's bill until September at the earliest. The congressman said he hopes to 'build a broad coalition of members of Congress against this, because I think this is the kind of issue that energizes people all across the country.' Casar sees a surveillance price ban as an issue that could attract bipartisan support. 'I think that's the kind of thing that pisses off Democratic and Republican and independent voters alike,' he said. 'You don't have to be a progressive Democrat to say these gigantic corporations in the tech world should not be spying on us and then using what they learn to put it into AI and make our life more expensive.'
