SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
Gov. Jared Polis speaks during the press conference at the Colorado State Capitol Building in Denver on May 14, 2026.
(Photo by Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post)
'Pathetic Legacy': Democratic Colorado Governor Vetoes Landmark Surveillance Pricing Ban
"Polis had an opportunity to stand with working Coloradans, but instead chose to side with the dominant corporations using invasive surveillance data to pick their pockets.”
Jun 03, 2026
Colorado's Democratic governor faced backlash on Wednesday after vetoing legislation that would have cracked down on surveillance pricing, an increasingly common practice whereby corporations use personal data to set individualized prices on groceries and other goods.
Gov. Jared Polis, who is term-limited and thus not up for reelection, said in his veto letter that he "appreciate[s] the intentions" of the legislation, which advocates described as the strongest surveillance pricing proposal in the US. But Polis claimed the bill passed by state lawmakers is overly broad and would have had unintended consequences, echoing industry objections.
Pat Garofalo, director of state and local policy at the American Economic Liberties Project, said in a statement Wednesday that "Polis had an opportunity to stand with working Coloradans, but instead chose to side with the dominant corporations using invasive surveillance data to pick their pockets."
"The legislators who sponsored this bill worked hard to craft strong, fair protections for Colorado families, and we look forward to continuing to support them in the future," said Garofalo.
Colorado State Rep. Javier Mabrey (D-1), one of the lead sponsors of HB 1210, vowed that "we’ll be back next session" to revive the proposed surveillance pricing ban.
"The question for the Dems running to be our next governor is simple: Will you sign it, or side with the companies using our data against us?" Mabrey wrote on social media.
Gov. Polis is vetoing our bill banning surveillance pricing, allowing corporations to keep using your personal data to set prices. We’ll be back next session. The question for the dems running to be our next governor is simple: will you sign it, or side with the companies using… pic.twitter.com/HLXAogDfDy
— Rep. Javier Mabrey (@javier_mabrey) June 2, 2026
The Denver Post noted that HB 1210 "was the latest in a slew of pro-tech and pro-business vetoes by Polis in recent years." Last year, Polis vetoed legislation that would have banned rent-setting algorithms that corporate landlords have used to push up housing costs across the US.
A recent survey found that nearly 70% of Americans support banning surveillance pricing, fearing that the practice drives up the costs of basic necessities, harming unwitting consumers while lining the pockets of corporations. Public anger over surveillance pricing has spurred legislative and regulatory action in states across the US.
Lee Hepner, senior legal counsel at the American Economic Liberties Project, wrote in response to Polis' veto that "his career will be over soon, and our work is just beginning."
"Polis might have the most pathetic legacy of any outgoing Dem governor," Hepner added.
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, It’s been nearly 30 years since I co-founded Common Dreams with my late wife, Lina Newhouser. We had the radical notion that journalism should serve the public good, not corporate profits. It was clear to us from the outset what it would take to build such a project. No paid advertisements. No corporate sponsors. No millionaire publisher telling us what to think or do. Many people said we wouldn't last a year, but we proved those doubters wrong. Together with a tremendous team of journalists and dedicated staff, we built an independent media outlet free from the constraints of profits and corporate control. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. Building Common Dreams was not easy. Our survival was never guaranteed. When you take on the most powerful forces—Wall Street greed, fossil fuel industry destruction, Big Tech lobbyists, and uber-rich oligarchs who have spent billions upon billions rigging the economy and democracy in their favor—the only bulwark you have is supporters who believe in your work. But here’s the urgent message from me today. It's never been this bad out there. And it's never been this hard to keep us going. At the very moment Common Dreams is most needed, the threats we face are intensifying. We need your support now more than ever. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. When everyone does the little they can afford, we are strong. But if that support retreats or dries up, so do we. Will you donate now to make sure Common Dreams not only survives but thrives? —Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Colorado's Democratic governor faced backlash on Wednesday after vetoing legislation that would have cracked down on surveillance pricing, an increasingly common practice whereby corporations use personal data to set individualized prices on groceries and other goods.
Gov. Jared Polis, who is term-limited and thus not up for reelection, said in his veto letter that he "appreciate[s] the intentions" of the legislation, which advocates described as the strongest surveillance pricing proposal in the US. But Polis claimed the bill passed by state lawmakers is overly broad and would have had unintended consequences, echoing industry objections.
Pat Garofalo, director of state and local policy at the American Economic Liberties Project, said in a statement Wednesday that "Polis had an opportunity to stand with working Coloradans, but instead chose to side with the dominant corporations using invasive surveillance data to pick their pockets."
"The legislators who sponsored this bill worked hard to craft strong, fair protections for Colorado families, and we look forward to continuing to support them in the future," said Garofalo.
Colorado State Rep. Javier Mabrey (D-1), one of the lead sponsors of HB 1210, vowed that "we’ll be back next session" to revive the proposed surveillance pricing ban.
"The question for the Dems running to be our next governor is simple: Will you sign it, or side with the companies using our data against us?" Mabrey wrote on social media.
Gov. Polis is vetoing our bill banning surveillance pricing, allowing corporations to keep using your personal data to set prices. We’ll be back next session. The question for the dems running to be our next governor is simple: will you sign it, or side with the companies using… pic.twitter.com/HLXAogDfDy
— Rep. Javier Mabrey (@javier_mabrey) June 2, 2026
The Denver Post noted that HB 1210 "was the latest in a slew of pro-tech and pro-business vetoes by Polis in recent years." Last year, Polis vetoed legislation that would have banned rent-setting algorithms that corporate landlords have used to push up housing costs across the US.
A recent survey found that nearly 70% of Americans support banning surveillance pricing, fearing that the practice drives up the costs of basic necessities, harming unwitting consumers while lining the pockets of corporations. Public anger over surveillance pricing has spurred legislative and regulatory action in states across the US.
Lee Hepner, senior legal counsel at the American Economic Liberties Project, wrote in response to Polis' veto that "his career will be over soon, and our work is just beginning."
"Polis might have the most pathetic legacy of any outgoing Dem governor," Hepner added.
Colorado's Democratic governor faced backlash on Wednesday after vetoing legislation that would have cracked down on surveillance pricing, an increasingly common practice whereby corporations use personal data to set individualized prices on groceries and other goods.
Gov. Jared Polis, who is term-limited and thus not up for reelection, said in his veto letter that he "appreciate[s] the intentions" of the legislation, which advocates described as the strongest surveillance pricing proposal in the US. But Polis claimed the bill passed by state lawmakers is overly broad and would have had unintended consequences, echoing industry objections.
Pat Garofalo, director of state and local policy at the American Economic Liberties Project, said in a statement Wednesday that "Polis had an opportunity to stand with working Coloradans, but instead chose to side with the dominant corporations using invasive surveillance data to pick their pockets."
"The legislators who sponsored this bill worked hard to craft strong, fair protections for Colorado families, and we look forward to continuing to support them in the future," said Garofalo.
Colorado State Rep. Javier Mabrey (D-1), one of the lead sponsors of HB 1210, vowed that "we’ll be back next session" to revive the proposed surveillance pricing ban.
"The question for the Dems running to be our next governor is simple: Will you sign it, or side with the companies using our data against us?" Mabrey wrote on social media.
Gov. Polis is vetoing our bill banning surveillance pricing, allowing corporations to keep using your personal data to set prices. We’ll be back next session. The question for the dems running to be our next governor is simple: will you sign it, or side with the companies using… pic.twitter.com/HLXAogDfDy
— Rep. Javier Mabrey (@javier_mabrey) June 2, 2026
The Denver Post noted that HB 1210 "was the latest in a slew of pro-tech and pro-business vetoes by Polis in recent years." Last year, Polis vetoed legislation that would have banned rent-setting algorithms that corporate landlords have used to push up housing costs across the US.
A recent survey found that nearly 70% of Americans support banning surveillance pricing, fearing that the practice drives up the costs of basic necessities, harming unwitting consumers while lining the pockets of corporations. Public anger over surveillance pricing has spurred legislative and regulatory action in states across the US.
Lee Hepner, senior legal counsel at the American Economic Liberties Project, wrote in response to Polis' veto that "his career will be over soon, and our work is just beginning."
"Polis might have the most pathetic legacy of any outgoing Dem governor," Hepner added.
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.