A consumer economics watchdog has raised concerns about Google’s newly announced Universal Commerce Protocol for AI powered shopping, warning that the technology could enable personalized pricing practices, a claim the company has rejected.
Concerns Raised Over AI Shopping Features
Lindsay Owens, executive director of the consumer economics think tank Groundwork Collaborative, posted a warning on X on Sunday that was viewed nearly 400,000 times. In the post, Owens said Google’s plans to integrate shopping into AI products such as search and Gemini could lead to what she described as “personalized upselling,” which she said could involve analyzing user chat data to charge higher prices.
Owens said her concerns were based on Google’s published roadmap and technical documentation for the Universal Commerce Protocol. That roadmap includes support for “upselling,” a feature designed to help merchants promote higher priced or premium products through AI shopping agents. She also pointed to Google’s plans to support pricing programs such as new member discounts and loyalty based offers, which were referenced by Google chief executive Sundar Pichai during the protocol’s announcement at the National Retail Federation conference.
Google’s Response To Allegations
After inquiries from TechCrunch, Google responded publicly on X and in direct comments to the publication, disputing Owens’ claims. The company said it prohibits merchants from showing prices on Google that are higher than those listed on their own websites.
Google said the term “upselling” refers to standard retail practices that present optional premium products to shoppers, and that purchasing decisions remain with the user. It also said a feature called “Direct Offers,” which is being tested, allows merchants to provide lower priced deals or added benefits such as free shipping, and cannot be used to raise prices.
A Google spokesperson told TechCrunch that the company’s Business Agent does not have the ability to change a retailer’s prices based on individual user data.
Questions Around Consent And Identity Handling
Owens also highlighted language in Google’s technical documentation stating that the “scope complexity should be hidden in the consent screen shown to the user.” She suggested this could obscure how user identity and data are handled.
Google said the language refers to consolidating multiple actions, such as creating or updating an order, into a single consent step rather than asking users to approve each action separately. The company said this does not involve hiding what users are agreeing to.
Broader Debate On AI And Pricing
Owens has framed her criticism within a broader concern that AI powered shopping agents could eventually allow merchants to adjust prices based on detailed profiles of individual consumers, a practice she described as “surveillance pricing.” While Google has said its current systems do not enable such behavior, the company operates a large advertising business that serves merchants and relies on consumer data.
Google has previously faced regulatory scrutiny over its market practices. Last year, a federal court ordered the company to change aspects of its search business after ruling that it engaged in anticompetitive conduct.
The debate highlights ongoing questions about how AI driven shopping tools will balance consumer interests, merchant incentives, and data use as large technology companies expand agent based commerce features.
Featured image credits: Freepik
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