SURVEILLANCE PRICING

On 2026-06-23, Representative Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA-10) delivered a floor speech titled "SURVEILLANCE PRICING" in the House.

SURVEILLANCE PRICING

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 105 (Tuesday, June 23, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 105 (Tuesday, June 23, 2026)] [House] [Page H4134] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] SURVEILLANCE PRICING (Mr. Subramanyam of Virginia was recognized to address the House for 5 minutes.) Mr. SUBRAMANYAM. Mr. Speaker, there are a lot of reasons why we are seeing rising costs. One reason is particularly troubling, and it is called surveillance pricing. You see, it is common for businesses to track our online activity, like searches and web browsing, and to use that to decide who to target with ads. What if they actually used that information to charge you a higher price for something they knew you actually needed? That is surveillance pricing. It is unfortunately becoming very common. Surveillance pricing feeds your personal information and your online activity into an algorithm. That algorithm then raises the price you see online for your purchase based on how much it thinks it can get away with charging you. If the algorithm recognizes, based on your web search history, that a family member just passed away and you need to fly across the country, with surveillance pricing, the airline can then use that information to jack up the price of your flight. It is like personalized price gouging. It is raising the costs on everyone. It is happening with food, housing, transportation, and more. You would never know that it was happening to you. That is why I am introducing the SLASH Prices Act. This bill requires businesses to disclose the use of surveillance pricing and requires that consumers are able to opt out of surveillance pricing. Customers have the right to know if their personal data is being used to force them to pay unfair prices. I urge my colleagues to join me in lowering costs by putting an end to online price gouging and predatory surveillance pricing. Data Center Overview Mr. SUBRAMANYAM. Mr. Speaker, there are over 5,000 data centers in this country, with thousands more planned. Data centers could use 12 percent of the entire country's energy by 2028. Communities are being asked to host these massive centers without knowing exactly how much water and electricity they use. This can lead to irresponsible data center build-outs, electric grid instability, and high energy prices. Americans deserve to know how much energy and water data centers actually are using and not just estimates. That is why I am introducing the bipartisan Data Infrastructure Energy Measurement and Standards Act. This bill will establish consistent and accurate measures for how much water and energy are used by data centers. With this transparent information, communities will be able to decide if they want to host a data center. Energy infrastructure can be properly planned, away from homes and schools, and we can understand, finally, data centers' full impact on our communities. I urge my colleagues to join me in passing this legislation so that Americans are not left guessing when it comes to data centers. Need for Gun Safety Legislation Mr. SUBRAMANYAM. Mr. Speaker, every day nearly 130 people are killed from gun violence. That is 46,000 Americans every year. Far too many families, far too many friends, and far too many loved ones have to cope with a devastating loss because of gun violence. June marks Gun Violence Awareness Month. I am proud to introduce commonsense measures to promote firearm safety and prevent more of these deaths. For instance, a lot of gun deaths could be prevented by using technology to prevent unauthorized users from using a firearm. My first bill, the Gun Safety Innovation Opportunity Act, supports research into cutting-edge gun safety technologies, like using fingerprints to ensure that only authorized users can access that firearm. We can use this research to prevent guns from being used by bad guys or kids who don't know how to use them. Speaking of kids, we also want to keep guns out of our schools. Current law prohibits firearms on K through 12 campuses, but it does not cover preschools, like my daughter's. That is why I am introducing the Protect Every Preschooler Act, legislation to extend existing gun safety protections to our youngest learners at preschools and early childhood education campuses. The time for action is now. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting these bills and renewing our commitment to keeping all of our communities safe from gun violence. Recognizing Pat Reilly Mr. SUBRAMANYAM. Finally, Mr. Speaker, I rise to celebrate the life of Pat Reilly, a proud Virginian and public servant who passed away on June 6th. Pat started her career teaching English in Liberia as a Peace Corps volunteer. There, she helped design the Liberian Education Assistance Project, which sent U.S. teachers to Liberia every year. Pat continued her work with the Peace Corps, chairing the board of the National Peace Corps Association. During the Ebola crisis, she helped raise money for communities working on prevention and treatment. Here at home, Pat worked as a reporter and editor for five U.S. newspapers, including The Washington Post. She later served in public affairs roles in agencies across the Federal Government. Even in retirement, she tirelessly advocated for the arts, human rights, social justice, and led her local League of Women Voters chapter. Our community will always remember Pat's commitment to serving others, and she will be missed by her family, friends, and so many of the people whose lives she touched. May she rest in peace. ____________________