SACRAMENTO, CA – Senator Melissa Hurtado (D-Bakersfield) today commended the U.S. Department of Justice, along with California and other states, for taking decisive action against RealPage Inc. The DOJ's civil antitrust lawsuit targets an unlawful scheme in which landlords utilized RealPage’s software to fix rental prices, leading to inflated costs and reduced market competition.

“The Department of Justice's action is a critical step toward restoring consumer trust and ensuring a fair marketplace,” stated Senator Hurtado. “This kind of collusion exacerbates the crisis in California, where families are already struggling to find affordable housing.”

Senator Hurtado also emphasized her ongoing legislative efforts to curb algorithmic price fixing across all sectors of the California economy through Senate Bill 1154, the California Preventing Algorithmic Collusion Act of 2024. This landmark bill is designed to safeguard consumers by enforcing transparency and accountability in the use of pricing algorithms, impacting markets from housing to essential services like electricity, water, and food.

“Algorithmic collusion is a hidden dangerous threat that artificially drives up prices and creates unnecessary scarcity,” Senator Hurtado added. “Senate Bill 1154 failed to move in the legislature this year, but there is urgency in holding bad actors accountable and our efforts will continue. The price gouging must stop now.”

With SB 1154, Senator Hurtado aims to establish a robust framework that prevents companies from leveraging advanced technologies to manipulate markets and stifle competition, ensuring that Californians have access to fair and competitive pricing.

Senator Melissa Hurtado is Chair of the Senate Committee on Agriculture and currently represents the 16th Senate District in the California Legislature, which includes portions of Fresno, Tulare, Kings and Kern Counties. Website of Senator Melissa Hurtado https://sd16.senate.ca.gov/

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