Surveillance Pricing Bans Spread as States Curb Personalized Prices
A fast-growing group of US states is moving to outlaw surveillance pricing, the practice of using a shopper’s personal data to set an individual price, …
Policy & Regulation
Government policy, regulations, and legal developments affecting global commerce and retail.
Right to repair laws and what they change for retailers
Right to repair legislation is spreading across states and product categories. This explains what it asks of retailers and where duties sit.
Sales tax nexus for online sellers explained state by state
Where an online seller owes sales tax depends on thresholds that differ by state. This explains nexus, marketplace rules and registration order.
New Jersey bans surveillance pricing: retail algorithms hit a wall
Governor Mikie Sherrill signed the Fair Price Protection Act on July 23, 2026, banning retailers from using personal data to set individualized prices. The law also freezes new electronic shelf labels for a year as New Jersey joins Maryland and Connecticut.
EU bans destroying unsold clothes: big fashion faces a waste reckoning
From July 19, 2026, large EU companies can no longer destroy unsold clothes, accessories and footwear and must resell, donate or recycle them instead. Medium-sized firms follow in 2030, with fines and annual disclosure rules backing the ban.
Why US subscription-trap enforcement is likely to sharpen before year-end 2026: 3 regulatory tells
US subscription-trap enforcement is likely to sharpen through H2 2026, with another major FTC action probable before year-end. Three fresh signals, from a June court order to Virginia’s new click-to-cancel law, point the same way.
Why all-in checkout pricing spreads across UK and EU retail before the 2026 holidays: 3 enforcement signals
Three regulators are converging on drip pricing at once, and June 2026’s CMA fines signal the enforcement net widening into mainstream online retail. The pattern points to all-in ‘total price’ checkout becoming the default across major UK and EU platforms before the 2026 holiday peak.
FCA regulates buy now, pay later from today: 11m UK users face checks
The Financial Conduct Authority began regulating buy now, pay later credit on 15 July 2026, forcing Klarna, Clearpay, PayPal and other lenders to run affordability checks and hand users new complaint rights. Around 11 million UK shoppers now fall under protections that already cover credit cards, but analysts warn stricter checks could shut some borrowers out.
China moves to expand its e-commerce law: platforms face a wider net
China’s SAMR and commerce ministry opened a 20-provision draft amendment to the 2019 E-commerce Law for public comment, widening platform-economy oversight. The revision tightens platform liability and pledges to defend Chinese firms operating abroad.
The parcel that pays no tax: how China’s DDP machine drives a lorry through EU customs
Billions of undervalued DDP parcels enter the EU almost unchecked, dodging duty and VAT while local retailers pay in full. How the loophole works, and why the EU keeps waving it through.