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New York City Bans Secret Price Hikes
纽约市拟禁“套路式”涨价
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New York City Bans Secret Price Hikes
纽约市拟禁“套路式”涨价
纽约市正推动新法案，旨在禁止企业利用个人数据随意变动价格。该法案试图阻止通过追踪消费者的上网记录或购物习惯来实行“大数据杀熟”等不公平行为。此外，法案内容还包括禁止超市在24小时内多次上调价格，并对设置复杂退订流程的企业处以巨额罚款。一旦法案通过，纽约将成为美国首个如此强力保护消费者权益的城市。
New York City wants to stop companies from using your data to change prices.
纽约市试图阻止企业利用个人信息变动价格。stop companies from ~ 阻止企业... / using your data 利用数据 / change prices 变动价格
City leaders say
城市领导人表示：
New Yorkers must be sure that prices are not influenced by bad algorithms.
纽约人必须确保价格不会受到不良算法的影响。must be sure 必须确保 / influenced by ~ 受...的影响 / bad algorithms 不良算法
They also want to stop the misuse of personal data to set individual prices.
他们还希望制止为了针对个人定价而滥用个人信息的行为。misuse of personal data 滥用个人信息 / set individual prices 针对个人定价
To fix this, one new bill would ban businesses
为了解决这一问题，出台了一项规管企业的新法案。fix this 解决这一问题 / new bill 新法案 / ban businesses 禁止/规管企业
that use your device tracking to set individual prices.
该法案针对的是那些通过设备追踪来设定个人化价格的企业。device tracking 设备追踪 / set individual prices 设定个人化价格
It also covers your browsing history and biometric monitoring.
搜索记录和生物特征识别监控也包含在法案内容中。covers 涵盖/包含 / browsing history 搜索记录 / biometric monitoring 生物特征识别监控
It even includes your past purchase history.
甚至连过去的购买记录也被包括在内。past purchase history 过去的购买记录
This means a store cannot charge you more
这意味着商店不能向你收取更高的费用。charge you more 收取更高费用
because they tracked your personal shopping habits.
仅仅因为他们追踪了你的购物习惯。tracked 追踪了 / shopping habits 购物习惯
Another bill targets grocery stores that use digital price tags.
另一项法案则针对使用电子价签的杂货店。targets ~ 针对... / grocery stores 杂货店 / digital price tags 电子价签
It says
根据该法案：
they cannot raise the price of an item more than once in twenty-four hours.
24小时内不得上调商品价格超过一次。raise the price 提价 / more than once 超过一次 / twenty-four hours 24小时
This keeps costs stable for families who are struggling with high bills.
这为生活费负担沉重的家庭稳定了支出。keeps costs stable 维持支出稳定 / struggling with ~ 为...苦恼/挣扎 / high bills 高昂的生活费
The city is also getting tough on subscription traps starting October first.
从10月1日起，还将严厉打击‘订阅陷阱’。getting tough on 严厉打击 / subscription traps 订阅陷阱
Companies must provide an easy way to cancel or they will face a fine.
如果不提供简便的退订方式，企业将面临罚款。easy way to cancel 简便的退订方式 / face a fine 面临罚款
They could pay five hundred twenty-five dollars for every user subscription.
每位订阅用户可能需要支付525美元的罚款。user subscription 用户订阅
You should not have to wait on a long phone call just to end a gym membership.
毕竟，不应该为了退订健身房会员而拿着电话苦苦等待。wait on a long phone call 电话等待 / end a gym membership 退订健身房会员
Officials believe these steps will make the market fair for everyone.
官员们相信这些措施将使市场对每个人都更加公平。Officials 官员们 / make the market fair 使市场公平
If these bills pass,
一旦这些法案通过，bills pass 法案通过
New York will be the first city in America with these protections.
纽约将成为美国第一个建立此类保护机制的城市。first city 第一个城市 / protections 保护机制
Quiz 🧠
Q1. Tracking personal shopping habits allows stores to set different prices for each customer.
查看答案
✅ True
商家可以利用个人的浏览记录和购物习惯信息，针对不同顾客制定不同的价格。
Stores can use personal browsing history and past purchases to charge different prices to different people.
Q2. What does 'fine' mean in 'pay a five-hundred-dollar fine'?
查看答案
✅ money penalty
fine（罚款）是指因违反法律或规定而作为惩罚缴纳的钱款。
A fine is money paid as a punishment for breaking a law or rule.
Q3. Why would a city stop stores from raising prices multiple times a day?
查看答案
✅ To keep costs stable
限制价格在一天内多次上涨有助于稳定日常物价，从而减轻家庭开支负担。
Limiting daily price changes helps keep food costs predictable for families.
Dialogue 🎧
Liam: Emma, I’m finally cancelling my gym membership!
Liam: 艾玛，我终于要把那个健身房会员给退了！
Emma: Good luck. They usually make it impossible.
Emma: 祝你好运。通常退订这类会员简直难如登天。
Liam: Well, New York is fixing that starting October first.
Liam: 这就是重点，纽约市从10月1号起要整治这种现象了。
Emma: Oh, is that the new rule against subscription traps?
Emma: 啊，你是说那个防止‘订阅陷阱’的新规定吗？
Liam: Yes. Companies must provide a simple way to cancel.
Liam: 没错。企业必须提供简便的退订方式。
Emma: Otherwise, they face a five hundred twenty-five dollar fine.
Emma: 否则就要面临525美元的罚款。
Liam: Per user? That is a massive penalty!
Liam: 还是按每位用户计算的？这罚金可真不小！
Emma: It’s meant to stop people from getting stuck in memberships.
Emma: 应该是为了防止企业故意把用户‘套死’在会员里吧。
Liam: I hope they target those weird apartment fees next.
Liam: 下回要是能把那些乱七八糟的公寓服务费也管管就好了。
Emma: They are! They want to ban hidden "junk fees."
Emma: 已经在管了！听说要禁止那些隐藏的‘垃圾费用’。
Liam: You mean like those "boiler management" charges?
Liam: 你指的该不会是像‘锅炉维护费’那种莫名其妙的项目吧？
Emma: Exactly. They want the total price shown upfront.
Emma: 没错。就是要让最终价格提前透明化。
Liam: That would really help families who are renting.
Liam: 这对租房住的家庭来说真是个大好消息。
Emma: Definitely. Now, did you see the part about algorithms?
Emma: 确实。不过，你看到关于算法的那部分了吗？
Liam: You mean "surveillance pricing" using our data?
Liam: 是指利用我们的数据进行的‘监视定价’吗？
Emma: Yes. They use your browsing history to set prices.
Emma: 对，听说他们会利用搜索记录来针对个人定价。
Liam: So my device tracking determines what I pay?
Liam: 也就是说，我的设备追踪信息决定了我得付多少钱？
Emma: And your biometric monitoring and past purchase history too.
Emma: 甚至还包括生物识别监控和过去的购买记录。
Liam: That feels like a creepy sci-fi movie.
Liam: 听起来简直像什么惊悚科幻电影。
Emma: It really does. But the city wants to stop it.
Emma: 确实很吓人。但好在市政府正在努力制止这种行为。
Liam: They're even limiting grocery price spikes on digital tags.
Liam: 听说还要限制利用电子价签疯狂涨价的行为。
Emma: Right. Prices can only change once every twenty-four hours.
Emma: 是的，法案规定价格在24小时内只能变动一次。