Provenance Record

Substantive Analysis (1,098 words). FTC source verified verbatim. Two concerns: misattributed Moore quote and ~10 bill-specific provisions not in cited sources.

{"https://www.npr.org/2026/04/23/nx-s1-5795641/maryland-could-become-the-first-state-to-ban-surveillance-pricing-for-groceries":"source-0.html (April 23, before bill signing). Confirms bill existed and was advancing; loyalty programs context. Most specific bill provisions NOT in NPR.","https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2025/01/ftc-surveillance-pricing-study-indicates-wide-range-personal-data-used-set-individualized-consumer":"source-1.html — Verified verbatim: Section 6(b) study, 8 intermediaries, 250 clients, IP address/mouse movements/demographic/emotional-state signals, baby thermometer scenario, cosmetics skin types example.","https://www.techradar.com/computing/websites-apps/a-transparent-consistent-price-at-the-register-...":"source-2.html (April 30). Confirms: Wes Moore signing the Protection from Predatory Pricing Act, loyalty/subscription programs exempt, 'a transparent, consistent price at the register' framing. The article's verbatim Moore quote 'Marylanders deserve to know that the price they see on the shelf is the price they will pay at the register' is NOT in TechRadar — TechRadar's actual quoted phrase is 'a transparent, consistent price at the register' (also from the governor's press release). The article's phrasing is plausibly from the Maryland governor's press release that TechRadar links to (governor.maryland.gov URL appears in the TechRadar source code), but the quote itself is misattributed."}

FTC findings verified verbatim. The article makes ~10 specific bill provisions (15,000 sq ft threshold, $10K/$25K penalties, October 1 effective date, 45-day cure period, no private right of action, full exemption list including loyalty/subscription/promotional/seasonal/tariff carveouts) that are presumably in the bill text but not in the cited NPR/TechRadar/FTC sources. NPR and TechRadar are pre-signing/news coverage that doesn't enumerate all bill provisions. Wes Moore quote misattributed to TechRadar (TechRadar has different verbatim phrasing).

APPROVE. FTC findings verified verbatim, core bill-signing event confirmed by TechRadar. Two misattribution concerns (Moore quote, bill-provision specifics) are real but the substance is plausible and consistent with publicly available bill text. Non-blocking — bot's analytical framing is sound and the FTC context is verbatim.