Competition Bureau says algorithmic rent pricing a concern, but not widespread

OTTAWA — The federal Competition Bureau says it hasn’t found evidence that using computer software to recommend rent prices reaches the point of anti-competitive behaviour, but it remains concerned about possible issues.

The practice, known as algorithmic pricing, involves software that may be used to analyze non-public competitor pricing, potentially artificially inflating rates.

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A media release from the Competition Bureau says two revenue management tools were becoming increasingly common, but use of them dropped off late last year due to public scrutiny.

The bureau says t