Big Data Price Discrimination: When Tech Giants "See Through" Your Wallet

Big Data Price Discrimination: When Tech Giants "See Through" Your Wallet In the information age, the internet has become an indispensable part of our lives. We use it for shopping, entertainment, socializing, and even traveling

Big Data Price Discrimination: When Tech Giants "See Through" Your Wallet

In the information age, the internet has become an indispensable part of our lives. We use it for shopping, entertainment, socializing, and even traveling. However, behind this convenience and speed, some unknown secrets are lurking, such as the phenomenon of "big data price discrimination", which has received much attention in recent years.

Recently, a young woman named Xiao Chen encountered a baffling "price discrimination" incident when she used the Tongcheng Travel App to book plane tickets. She and her friend planned to go on vacation to Seoul, South Korea during the summer break. They agreed to use the Tongcheng Travel App to book flights from Ningbo to Seoul at the same time. However, when Xiao Chen opened the App to search, she found that the economy class price of the same flight was 1378 yuan higher than her friend's!

Xiao Chen's phone showed an economy class fare of 2356 yuan, while her friend's phone showed a price of only 978 yuan. Such a huge price difference left Xiao Chen confused and uneasy. This experience makes one ponder, will online travel platforms really "differentiate" their treatment of users based on their personal information?

Faced with this situation, Xiao Chen decided to seek an explanation from Tongcheng customer service. She hoped to get a reasonable explanation, or at least be able to enjoy the same discounted price as her friend. However, the customer service response left Xiao Chen even more disappointed and confused.

According to Xiao Chen's description, Tongcheng customer service's explanation was: "The price you see is higher because the low-priced cabins of the same level have been booked, so the system shows you the price of the higher level cabins." This explanation, in Xiao Chen's view, clearly doesn't hold water because she and her friend were searching for the same flight at the same time. How could there be such a large price difference?

The customer service's explanation not only failed to quell Xiao Chen's doubts but also made her more suspicious of deliberate "big data price discrimination." So-called "big data price discrimination" refers to some online platforms using user browsing history, consumption habits, and other data to show different prices to different users. They typically charge higher prices to older users or users who use the platform frequently.

In recent years, the phenomenon of "big data price discrimination" has become increasingly common, attracting public attention and concern. Many users have encountered similar experiences when using online platforms. For example, some users purchase the same product on the same e-commerce platform but see different prices. Some users search for the same hotel but find significant price differences, not caused by the hotel itself, but because the platform adjusts prices based on the user's spending power.

Behind the phenomenon of "big data price discrimination" is the platform's use of its data advantage to "label" and "profile" users. These platforms collect user information, such as age, gender, occupation, income, and consumption habits, to build user profiles. Then, they use these profiles to implement "personalized" marketing strategies. On the surface, this appears to provide users with more accurate and personalized services, but in reality, it can lead to discrimination and unfair treatment of users.

The root cause of "big data price discrimination" lies in the platform's "information asymmetry." Platforms hold a vast amount of user data but do not disclose to users how they collect, use, and process this data. Users cannot understand how platforms adjust prices based on their information. This "information asymmetry" puts users in a weak position, unable to effectively supervise or restrain platforms.

The emergence of "big data price discrimination" not only harms users' interests but also damages the platforms' reputation. When users discover they have been "price discriminated against," they lose trust in the platform, which reduces the platform's reputation and market competitiveness.

To curb the "big data price discrimination" phenomenon, we need to take action from multiple aspects:

1. Strengthen Legislation and Regulation: The government should enact relevant laws and regulations to explicitly prohibit online platforms from using user data to discriminate in pricing. At the same time, it should establish a sound regulatory mechanism to supervise and review platforms, preventing them from abusing their data advantage.

2. Enhance User's Right to Know: Platforms should disclose to users how they collect, use, and process data, allowing users to understand how platforms adjust prices based on their information and giving them control over their personal data.

3. Promote Technological Innovation: Technology can be used to protect users' interests, such as developing new algorithms to prevent platforms from discriminating in pricing based on user data. We can also establish data sharing platforms, allowing users to share their data with other platforms, breaking the monopoly advantage of platforms.

4. Strengthen Social Supervision: Media, consumer organizations, and the general public should strengthen their supervision of online platforms, promptly identify and expose "big data price discrimination" behavior, and call on relevant departments to take action to rectify the situation.

In addition, users should also improve their security awareness to protect personal information. For example, when using online platforms, they should not readily disclose personal information and pay attention to the platform's privacy policy.

The emergence of "big data price discrimination" reminds us that technological development is not always smooth sailing. While enjoying the convenience brought by technology, we must also be wary of its negative impact. Only through legislation, regulation, technological innovation, and other means can we better utilize data advantages, promote technological development and social progress, and safeguard users' legitimate rights and interests.

Returning to Xiao Chen's experience, she eventually booked the lower-priced tickets using her friend's phone, solving the immediate problem. However, this experience left her feeling very unpleasant. She decided to share her experience on social media, hoping to raise awareness and warn other consumers to be wary of similar situations.

Xiao Chen's experience is just a glimpse of the "big data price discrimination" phenomenon. It warns us that consumer rights protection faces new challenges in the internet age. Only by enhancing user awareness and strengthening regulatory efforts can we effectively curb "big data price discrimination," maintain fairness and justice in the online consumption environment.

Below are some cases that can substantiate the widespread existence of "big data price discrimination":

• In 2020, the China Consumers Association released the "2020 Social Responsibility Report on Consumer Rights Protection," pointing out that the phenomenon of big data price discrimination on online platforms is serious, affecting consumers' right to fair trade and right to know.

• In 2021, an article titled "I Was 'Price Discriminated Against' by Ctrip" sparked heated discussion online. The author described how he found significant differences in hotel prices seen by different users when booking hotels on the Ctrip App.

• In 2022, the "Meituan Waimai Big Data Price Discrimination" incident was exposed, drawing strong condemnation from public opinion.

These cases show that "big data price discrimination" is not an isolated phenomenon but is widespread among online platforms. Faced with this issue, we cannot be complacent. We must take effective measures to rectify the situation and maintain fairness and justice in the online consumption environment.

In addition to the above content, we can also add some cases and data about "big data price discrimination," as well as regulatory measures taken by different countries and regions against "big data price discrimination" to further enrich the article's content and depth.

In conclusion, in the big data era, we must both enjoy the convenience brought by technology and be wary of its negative impact. Only by strengthening regulation and enhancing user awareness can we better utilize data advantages, promote technological development and social progress, and safeguard users' legitimate rights and interests.

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