FTC Investigates Instacart Over AI Pricing Tool, Shares Fall
Dec 18, 2025
Instacart, a leading grocery delivery platform, is being investigated by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) over its use of an artificial intelligence (AI) tool that sets prices. The probe comes after reports that customers were charged different prices for the same items.
The FTC has sent Instacart a civil investigative demand, asking for more information about the company's AI-powered pricing tool, known as Eversight. This tool reportedly adjusts prices, which has led to concerns about fairness and transparency in how prices are set.
After news of the investigation became public, Instacart's parent company, Maplebear Inc., saw its stock price drop by about 11%.
Why is the FTC investigating Instacart?
The FTC wants to find out if Instacart's AI pricing tool is charging customers unfairly or differently for the same products.
What is the AI pricing tool used by Instacart?
Instacart uses an AI tool called Eversight that automatically sets and adjusts product prices.
How has Instacart's stock reacted to the news?
Instacart's stock fell by about 11% after reports of the FTC investigation.
Sources
Instacart shares plunge 11% on report that FTC is probing company over AI pricin...
CNBC
CNBC
Shares of grocery delivery service Instacart dropped about 7% in extended trading on Wednesday, following a report that said the U.S. Federal Trade Commission has begun an investigation into the company's pricing practices.
Exclusive: FTC investigating Instacart's AI pricing tool, source says
Reuters
Reuters
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission is probing Instacart , two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters, as the retail platform faces criticism over its artificial intelligence-driven pricing tool.
FTC probing Instacart's AI pricing tool after being caught charging customers di...
New York Post
New York Post
"We are disturbed by what we have read in the press about Instacart's alleged pricing practices," the FTC said in a statement.
Instacart's AI-driven pricing tool attracted attention — now the FTC has questio...
TechCrunch
TechCrunch
According to Reuters, Instacart is currently getting the regulatory equivalent of a throat-clearing from the FTC, which has sent the grocery delivery platform a civil investigative demand regarding its AI-powered pricing tool, Eversight. Put another way, the agency wants to know why some people are...
Instacart Parent's Stock Tumbles. It Faces an FTC Investigation, Report Says.
Barrons
Barrons
Maplebear stock was dropping following a report that the FTC has sent Instacart a civil investigative demand over its use of AI-set pricing.
Instacart faces FTC probe over AI-powered pricing tool
Proactive Investors
Proactive Investors
The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has issued a civil investigative demand to Instacart (NASDAQ:CART) for information on its Eversight tool, which allows retailers to test price changes through A/B experiments, the company said. The move comes after reports last fall, including by Consumer Report...
Instacart's AI-Driven Pricing Is Being Investigated by the FTC—Here's What You N...
Investopedia
Investopedia
Instacart's use of AI-driven pricing is drawing attention from federal regulators.
Instacart to pay $60 million to settle FTC claims it deceived shoppers
Reuters
Reuters
Instacart has agreed to pay $60 million to settle the U.S. Federal Trade Commission's allegations that the online grocery delivery platform deceived consumers about its Instacart+ membership and free delivery offers, according to court documents filed in San Francisco on Thursday.
Embattled Instacart to pay $60M to settle claims it deceived members with free d...
New York Post
New York Post
The shopping platform is under scrutiny over a recent study where individual shoppers simultaneously received different prices for the same items at the same stores.
Instacart to pay $60 million to settle FTC claims it deceived customers
CNBC
CNBC
Instacart will pay $60 million in refunds to consumers as part of a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission. The agency alleged that Instacart used a number of deceptive tactics in its subscription signup and "satisfaction guarantee" advertising that caused consumers to pay more in fees, and pr...
Instacart Settles FTC Lawsuit Alleging Deceptive Advertising and Subscription En...
PYMNTS
PYMNTS
Instacart agreed to pay $60 million to settle a Federal Trade Commission lawsuit that alleged the company engaged in deceptive tactics.
Instacart to pay $60M to settle FTC claims it deceived consumers
TechCrunch
TechCrunch
Instacart will pay $60 million in refunds to settle allegations by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission that it deceived consumers with false advertising. The federal agency alleged Instacart misled consumers with unlawful tactics, causing them to pay higher fees while also denying refunds.
Instacart's AI-Driven Pricing Is Being Investigated by the FTC—Here's What You N...
Investopedia
Investopedia
Instacart's use of AI-driven pricing is drawing attention from federal regulators.
Related Posts
Other News
Corporate Moves
View All
Elliott Management Builds $1 Billion Stake in Lululemon, Seeks Leadership Change
Dec 18, 2025
LULU
-2.63%
Elliott Management, a well-known activist investor, has acquired more than $1 billion worth of shares in Lululemon Athletica. This makes Elliott one of the largest shareholders of the athletic apparel...
BP Appoints Meg O'Neill as CEO, Marking Leadership Change
Dec 18, 2025
BP
+1.05%
BP has announced that Meg O'Neill will become its new chief executive officer, starting on April 1, 2026. She will take over from Murray Auchincloss, who is stepping down from the role after less than...
Oscars to Stream Globally on YouTube Starting in 2029
Dec 17, 2025
GOOGL
+1.55%
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has signed a multi-year agreement with YouTube, making the video platform the exclusive global streaming home of the Oscars beginning in 2029.
This new...
Product Launches
View All
Eli Lilly Cuts Drug Prices in Canada and Reports Progress on New Weight-Loss Pill
Dec 18, 2025
LLY
+1.38%
Eli Lilly has announced a significant price reduction for its diabetes and weight-loss drugs, Mounjaro and Zepbound, in Canada. According to a note sent to pharmacies and reported by The Globe and Mai...
Coinbase Expands Into Stock Trading and Prediction Markets
Dec 18, 2025
COIN
+2.47%
Coinbase, known as a major cryptocurrency exchange, has announced it will now offer stock trading and prediction markets to its users. This move was revealed during the company's 'Coinbase System Upda...
Robinhood Launches NFL Parlay and Prop Bets in Prediction Market Expansion
Dec 17, 2025
HOOD
+3.58%
Robinhood has introduced new features allowing users to make wagers on individual performances of professional football players, as well as place parlay and prop bets on National Football League (NFL)...
Regulatory Actions
View All
Elon Musk's $56 Billion Tesla Pay Package Restored by Delaware Supreme Court
20 hours ago
TSLA
-0.45%
The Delaware Supreme Court has reinstated Elon Musk’s 2018 pay package from Tesla, worth around $56 billion. This ruling reverses a previous decision by a lower Delaware Chancery Court that had cancel...
Major Drugmakers Agree to Lower Prices in Deal With Trump Administration
20 hours ago
MRK
+0.4%
Nine of the largest pharmaceutical companies, including Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk, Bristol-Myers Squibb, GSK, and Merck, have agreed to lower the prices of certain medications for f...
Nvidia Shares Rise as U.S. Nears Approval for AI Chip Sales to China
Dec 19, 2025
NVDA
+3.93%
Nvidia's stock gained about 3% following news that the U.S. government is getting closer to approving exports of certain advanced artificial intelligence (AI) chips to China. This possible regulatory...
Earnings
View All
BlackBerry Reports Higher-Than-Expected Q3 Results, Raises Revenue Outlook
Dec 19, 2025
BB
-14.1%
BlackBerry Limited reported its financial results for the third quarter of fiscal year 2026, ending November 30, 2025. The company achieved revenue and earnings that were higher than analyst expectati...
KB Home Beats Earnings Expectations but Faces Uncertain Outlook
Dec 19, 2025
KBH
-8.54%
KB Home reported its financial results for the fourth quarter and full year ending November 30, 2025. The company achieved or exceeded most of its financial targets for the quarter. KB Home closed nea...
Carnival Reports Record Annual Earnings and Reinstates Dividend
Dec 19, 2025
CCL
+9.81%
Carnival Corporation & plc released its fourth quarter and full-year 2025 financial results on Friday. The company reported a net income of $2.8 billion for the full year and a record adjusted net inc...
Stock Movements
View All
CoreWeave Shares Surge on Participation in Department of Energy's Genesis Mission
23 hours ago
CRWV
+22.64%
CoreWeave, Inc. (Nasdaq: CRWV) announced it has joined the U.S. Department of Energy’s Genesis Mission, a program intended to accelerate scientific research, bolster national security, and drive energ...
Nvidia Stock Rises Despite Increased Competition and 'AI Bubble' Concerns
Dec 17, 2025
NVDA
+3.93%
Nvidia's stock price moved higher on Tuesday, despite recent concerns about the potential for an 'AI bubble' and a slight decline of 4.76% over the past month. Investors remained confident in the comp...
Broadcom Shares Drop as AI-Related Margin Concerns Emerge Despite Strong Growth
Dec 16, 2025
AVGO
+3.18%
Broadcom's stock fell 5.6% to $339.86 on heightened trading volume, following concerns about its profit margins in the rapidly growing AI business segment. Trading volume was more than double its thre...
Economy
View All
U.S. Economy Adds 64,000 Jobs in November, Unemployment Rises to 4.6%
Dec 16, 2025
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that 64,000 new jobs were created in November. This figure comes after delays in publishing the official employment data for October and November.
The nat...
US Stocks Trade Steadily Ahead of Federal Reserve Decision
Dec 10, 2025
US stock markets are trading mixed and steady as investors wait for the latest decision from the Federal Reserve. Key indices like the S&P 500 and Dow Jones are showing small declines, while the Nasda...
US Stock Market Holds Steady as Investors Await Key Inflation Data
Dec 5, 2025
The S&P 500 inched up by 0.15% as US stock market indexes remained close to their record highs. This comes as investors await a key inflation report, the Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) index....
Analyst Ratings
View All
Rivian Stock Jumps 15% Following Analyst Upgrade and Positive Outlook
Dec 18, 2025
RIVN
+10.7%
Rivian Automotive, an electric vehicle (EV) company, saw its stock rise 15% to a 52-week high after a Wall Street analyst raised the price target by nearly 80%.
The recent rally follows better-than-e...
Analysts Predict Further Gains for S&P 500 Despite Short-Term Jitters
Dec 12, 2025
The S&P 500 recently ended at 6,886, showing positive momentum as it stayed above major moving averages. However, futures dipped following Oracle's revenue miss and a warning about rising artificial i...
Oppenheimer Sets Highest S&P 500 Target for 2026, Citing Strong Economy and Profits
Dec 8, 2025
Oppenheimer has set the highest Wall Street target for the S&P 500 in 2026, predicting the index could reach 8,100. The firm attributes its optimism to a strong U.S. economy and continued growth in co...
Mergers & Acquisitions
View All
Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern File $85 Billion Merger Application to Create First Coast-to-Coast Railroad
20 hours ago
CNR
-1.23%
Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern have filed an official application with the U.S. Surface Transportation Board (STB) to merge the two companies. The proposed $85 billion deal aims to form America's...
BioMarin To Acquire Amicus Therapeutics in $4.8 Billion Cash Deal
Dec 19, 2025
FOLD
+30.21%
BMRN
+17.71%
BioMarin Pharmaceutical has agreed to buy Amicus Therapeutics for about $4.8 billion in an all-cash transaction.
With this acquisition, BioMarin will add two important rare disease treatments to its...
TikTok Agrees to Sell U.S. Unit to American Investor-Led Group
Dec 18, 2025
ORCL
+6.63%
TikTok has signed a deal to sell its U.S. operations to a joint venture controlled by American investors. The group includes companies such as Oracle and Silver Lake.
This agreement follows a lengthy...
IPO
View All
Medline Announces Largest Global IPO of 2025, Raising $6.3 Billion
Dec 16, 2025
Medline, a leading medical supply company, has announced the pricing of its initial public offering (IPO). The company will offer 216,034,482 shares of its Class A common stock at $29.00 per share.
T...
Wealthfront Raises $485 Million in Nasdaq IPO, Valued at $2.63 Billion
Dec 12, 2025
Wealthfront, a digital wealth management company, has raised $485 million through its initial public offering (IPO). The company priced its shares at $14 each, selling a total of 34,615,384 shares on...
Navan Raises $923 Million in IPO Amid US Government Shutdown
Oct 30, 2025
NAVN
+9.73%
Navan, a business travel and expense management company, has completed its initial public offering (IPO) by selling 36,924,406 shares of its Class A common stock at $25 per share. The IPO raised appro...
