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"
$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.
$1.9M
New York Attorney General Letitia James secured a settlement after an investigation found Dollar General stores routinely charged customers more than advertised or posted prices and issued confusing receipts. Dollar General must donate $1.875 million in food and personal items to Foodlink and implement pricing, receipt, training, and audit reforms.
New York Attorney General Letitia James released an updated guide warning voters that AI-generated election content and chatbots may provide misleading information. This is public guidance, not an enforcement action, and the release describes no penalty or privacy violation.
New York Attorney General Letitia James and a bipartisan coalition of 39 other attorneys general filed a motion in Character Technologies, Inc.’s bankruptcy, citing risks to children and sensitive user information and potential violations of state privacy laws. The coalition asks the court, the company, and any prospective buyer to require meaningful privacy and safety protections; no fine or final remedy is reported.
New York Attorney General Letitia James, the FTC, and six other state attorneys general asked a federal court to hold Martin Shkreli in contempt for allegedly trading pharmaceutical stocks and discussing pharmaceutical companies in violation of his lifetime industry ban. The requested sanctions include divestiture, an accounting of his trading, forfeiture of trading profits, and possible further fines or incarceration; the release describes a request to the court, not a new ruling imposing those measures.