How to fake a data trail (and maybe lower prices) (Lock and Code S07E16)
Brief
It may sound entirely bizarre but the prices you once paid for hotels, educational classes, or staplers could have all been higher because you used a Mac computer, lived in a certain zip code, or lacked an Office Depot in your neighborhood.
No, really.
In 2012, The Wall Street Journal reported that the travel booking site Orbitz showed Mac users pricier hotel options than PC users, because the company had determined that Mac users spend, on average, 30% more a night on hotels. That same year, The Wall Street Journal (once again) reported that Staples. com showed higher prices to visitors who lived farther away from a competitor like Office Depot .
And in 2015, the reporting outfit ProPublica revealed that customers in certain zip codes were shown higher prices for college test prep courses offered by The Princeton Review.