US reps urge DOJ to investigate anticompetitive conduct affecting apartment rent
> pricing algorithms to adjust prices on vacant apartments in real time… The program may also induce landlords to charge the rents recommended by the algorithm, putting upward pressure on prices and decreasing the availability of affordable apartments.<p>Wait until she hears about hotels and flights.<p>> The software analyzes non-public data that RealPage gathers from its property management clients, including confidential information on the rents charged by competing property managers, data it also makes available to its subscribers in aggregated, anonymized form.  The program may also induce landlords to charge the rents recommended by the algorithm, putting upward pressure on prices<p>This is identical to how employers share salary information.<p>Either this is nonsense grandstanding (most likely) or the beginning of a sea change in consumer protection. I won't hold my breath.