Portland OR COST surveillance pricing ordinance (proposed 2026)
Portland, OR — Councilor Zimmerman's Consumers Opposed to Surveillance Technology (COST) Ordinance Banning Personal-Data Pricing Advances From Committee (September 2026)
Portland, OR · City of Portland, Or., proposed COST ordinance (Councilor Zimmerman), City Life Committee, Sept. 2026
- Status
- Proposed / pending
- Applies to
- Retailers selling goods in Portland (definitions not yet established)
Portland City Councilor Eric Zimmerman's Consumers Opposed to Surveillance Technology (COST) ordinance would stop retailers from using shoppers' personal data to charge different people different prices for the same product. It would also limit how often retail prices can be raised, and earlier proposal materials said retailers able to use dynamic pricing would have to disclose it. Loyalty programs, rewards, coupons and sales would still be allowed. The ordinance advanced out of the City Council's City Life Committee in September 2026 and is headed to the full Council.
Who is protected: Retail shoppers in Portland
Legal detail
Proposed City of Portland ordinance ('COST'), sponsor Councilor Eric Zimmerman. July 30, 2026 press release sought public input and set a City Life Committee hearing for Aug. 11, 2026; described the proposal as preventing personalized pricing where 'businesses use personally identifiable information and algorithms to charge some customers higher prices than others for the same product,' setting expectations for when and how retail prices may change, 'limiting the frequency of price increases,' and requiring retailers equipped for dynamic pricing to 'clearly disclose that to consumers.' Sept. 22, 2026 press release: ordinance advanced through the City Life Committee; full Council in coming weeks. Committee vote count, ordinance number, enforcement mechanism, penalties, covered-retailer definitions and effective date are NOT established in the sources opened.
Key facts
| Jurisdiction | Portland, OR |
|---|---|
| Level | City / local |
| Citation | City of Portland, Or., proposed COST ordinance (Councilor Zimmerman), City Life Committee, Sept. 2026 |
| Penalties | Not stated in sources opened |
| Topics | consumer protection · automated decision-making · consumer data privacy |
| Agency page | PRESS RELEASE: Councilor Eric Zimmerman's Consumers Opposed to Surveillance Technology (COST) Ordinance Advances Through Portland City Council's City Life Committee — City of Portland |
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