The Washington Post Is Using Reader Data to Set Subscription Prices
58 points by kklisura
by redgridtactical
2 subcomments
This is just dynamic pricing with extra steps. Airlines have done this for decades but at least they're transparent about it. The difference here is that readers don't know the person next to them is paying a different price for the same article. Once you start using behavioral data to set prices, the incentive flips from "make content worth paying for" to "figure out who's desperate enough to pay more." Not a great look for a newspaper that positions itself as a public service.
by 1123581321
1 subcomments
Do these models try to factor the target’s knowledge of what things cost, or maybe even their knowledge of dynamic pricing or discounting practices? That seems like it would not necessarily inversely correlate with wealth.
To use an extreme example, you’d have wanted your model to have offered Warren Buffet the base price, or even a deal.
by rimbo789
1 subcomments
Well this should be banned. Or at least watpo should be required to be transparent about this whenever you subscribe
by like_any_other
0 subcomment
> “This price was set by an algorithm using your personal data.”
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