Ottawa residents, like millions of Canadians, have likely experienced the frustrating phenomenon of watching prices shift in real time, whether booking a hotel, ordering food delivery, or shopping online. Now, a major new poll confirms that most Canadians are fed up with it and want it banned.
What the Poll Found
A new Abacus Data survey conducted among nearly 2,000 Canadians found that 52 per cent of respondents support an outright ban on algorithmic pricing. The poll, conducted earlier this month, captures growing public frustration with a practice that has quietly become widespread across retail, travel, housing, and food delivery platforms.
Algorithmic pricing, defined by Canada's Competition Bureau as "the process of using automated algorithms to set or recommend prices", allows companies to adjust what you pay based on factors like demand, time of day, your browsing history, or even your location.
Why Canadians Are Pushing Back
The concern isn't just about prices going up. Critics argue that algorithmic systems can facilitate price coordination between competitors without any human ever picking up the phone, a form of collusion that's difficult to detect and even harder to prosecute under existing laws.
For everyday consumers, the experience is more visceral: the airline ticket that jumped $200 overnight, the Uber Eats surge price during a snowstorm, the rental listing that costs more on weekends. These aren't accidents. They're the algorithm working exactly as designed.
The Competition Bureau has been examining the issue as part of broader efforts to modernize Canadian competition law for the digital age. Recent amendments to the Competition Act have started to address coordinated pricing through software, but advocates say more needs to be done.
What It Means for Ottawa Consumers
For Ottawa households already stretched by the cost of living, algorithmic pricing adds a layer of unpredictability to everyday spending. Whether you're grabbing groceries through an app, booking a Gatineau ski weekend, or pricing out a new apartment in Centretown, dynamic pricing systems are likely already part of your life. You just may not realize it.
Local consumer advocates have called on the federal government to take a stronger stance. With Parliament sitting in Ottawa, residents here have a direct line to the decision-makers who could push through stronger legislation.
The Bigger Picture
The Abacus poll reflects a broader international conversation. The European Union has been tightening digital market regulations, and several U.S. states have moved to investigate or restrict algorithmic pricing in housing markets specifically. Canada's response has been slower, though the recent Competition Act updates signal some momentum.
Whether a full ban is realistic, or even enforceable, remains an open question. Businesses argue that dynamic pricing improves efficiency and can sometimes lower prices during off-peak periods. But with 52 per cent of Canadians now calling for a ban, the political pressure to act is real.
For Ottawa consumers, the message is clear: pay attention to what you're paying, when you're paying it, and why the price may look different the next time you refresh the page.
Source: MobileSyrup reporting on an Abacus Data poll of nearly 2,000 Canadians, March 2026.
