New York Attorney General Letitia James sent a letter to Instacart demanding information about its use of algorithmic pricing, after a study found users were charged up to 23% more for identical products. The AG warned that Instacart’s pricing disclosures are non-compliant with New York’s Algorithmic Pricing Disclosure Act, which requires prominent notices near product prices when personal data is used to set prices. Instacart must provide details on its pricing experiments, automated tools, and compliance efforts with the state’s disclosure requirements.
In-house legal teams should review all vendor, retail partner, and third-party pricing tool provider agreements for clauses related to algorithmic or surveillance pricing practices. Contracts should explicitly require compliance with state algorithmic pricing disclosure laws, including prominent placement of required notices near product prices when personal data is used for price setting. Teams should also ensure agreements prohibit undisclosed price experiments using consumer personal data and outline clear data use restrictions for pricing purposes. Additionally, any contracts involving automated pricing tools should mandate audit rights to verify compliance with disclosure and data use requirements.
Entity
Instacart
Industry
Food DeliveryOfficial Press Release
https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2026/attorney-general-james-demands-answers-instacart-about-algorithmic-pricing
letter to instacart on pricing practices letters 2026
https://ag.ny.gov/sites/default/files/letters/letter-to-instacart-on-pricing-practices-letters-2026.pdf
New York Attorney General Enforcement Page
https://ag.ny.gov/press-releases
"Instacart"
"January 8, 2026"
"New York Attorney General Letitia James"
"sent a letter to online grocery shopping platform Instacart demanding more information"
"New York’s recent Algorithmic Pricing Disclosure Act"
"algorithmic pricing, also known as surveillance pricing"
$240K
The New York Attorney General investigated a group of debt buyers for filing foreclosure actions seeking payment of long-expired mortgage debts. The companies agreed to pay $240,000 in penalties and more than $242,000 in consumer restitution, stop seeking payment of time-barred debts, and amend claims in pending foreclosure cases.
$240K
New York Attorney General Letitia James reached an agreement with debt buyers that allegedly filed foreclosure lawsuits seeking payment on expired mortgage debt. The companies must pay $240,000 in penalties and more than $242,000 in restitution, and stop seeking expired payments in ongoing and future cases.
$6.0M
The New York Attorney General secured disgorgement settlements totaling $5,975,861 from four promoters of NovaTech and AWS Mining over fraudulent investment claims and an illegal pyramid scheme. The promoters were permanently banned from the securities, commodities, and cryptocurrency industries; the Attorney General separately asked the court to order NovaTech’s founders to pay $1.3 billion, which was not yet an order.
$98K
New York Attorney General Letitia James secured a settlement after T-Mobile raised prices on plans it had advertised with a promise that prices would never change. T-Mobile must offer affected customers refunds and other benefits, honor price guarantees through at least 2029 for customers who remain, clearly disclose limitations on future guarantees, and pay New York $98,000.
$2.6M
New York and Connecticut reached a settlement with Boston Children’s Health Physicians and its IT security provider, XTIUM, after a 2024 breach exposed private information of approximately 825,000 New York residents and 62,871 Connecticut residents. The companies will pay $2.64 million and implement enhanced cybersecurity measures; additional penalties are conditional on violating the settlement.
New York Attorney General Letitia James joined 16 other attorneys general in urging Congress to pass proposed legislation addressing the federal government’s release of Jeffrey Epstein-related records. The press release says DOJ has not fully disclosed the records required by the original law and that personal information of at least 43 victims was exposed in released files; this is a legislative advocacy announcement, not an enforcement action imposing a penalty or remedy.