The case tests California’s updated antitrust law, which now treats algorithm-driven common pricing as potential price-fixing, amid statewide gas averaging $5.46 a gallon and growing scrutiny of corporate pricing tactics.
Kalibrate’s program, according to the lawsuit, encourages gas stations to upload private price data. The company’s AI-powered software, called Kalibrate Fuel Prices, then uses the data to recommend prices in real time, promising in its marketing materials to help gas companies “squeeze out profit.”
“The quintessential image of price fixing is a secret deal made between competitors over cigars in a smoky back room,” attorneys wrote in the complaint. “But as technology has advanced, so too have the mechanisms available to competitors to fix prices without the cigars, the smoke, or even the room.”
The lawyers represent two firms that include staff members who worked at the Federal Trade Commission during an era of bolstered antitrust enforcement
The lawyers represent two firms that include staff members who worked at the Federal Trade Commission during an era of bolstered antitrust enforcement
By the way, the price of gas isn't the only thing that California is #1 in more than one thing, it's also the highest price of electricity in the lower 48. It turns out that when you have made an effort for decades to prevent nuclear reactor powered generation stations from operating, and haven't worked at increasing hydro dam numbers, and are in a drought over and over, that prevents the few dams from getting enough water to run the generators, and done nothing to capitalize on your oil reserves by having state owned refineries. How the hell is California not as affluent as any other oil producing state (looking at Alaska)? Do we GIVE the oil to the oil companies? Or just let them take it, and profit from it?
I think we're 1st, or 2nd, in cost of living, and cost of rent, and cost of homes, and cost of car insurance.
So, yeah, we're number one. Yippeeeeee
Sidebar,
The cost of gas is going up, so, why is the price of oil dropping? Not just a little, but the lowest in 44 years
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