Instacart said it is shutting down every Eversight-powered price experiment on its marketplace after volunteer shoppers documented the tool quietly charging different customers different amounts for identical goods. The company said the decision takes effect immediately, blocking retailers from running the AI tests across Albertsons, Costco, Kroger, Safeway, Sprouts, Target, and dozens of regional partners.

The reversal comes one week after Consumer Reports, Groundwork Collaborative, and More Perfect Union published data from more than 400 online orders that showed items like Wheat Thins swinging as much as 23% in the same Safeway cart. That study triggered bipartisan criticism in Congress and fresh questions from the Federal Trade Commission, which has already issued a civil investigative demand focused on Eversight.

Instacart argues the software never touched shopper identity data and says retailers still control their own shelf prices. But the company acknowledged it needed to “take customer concerns off the table” and will now limit Eversight to helping brands craft promotions rather than adjusting live prices.

Ending the tool is also an attempt to get in front of regulators. According to people familiar with the probe, the FTC wanted to know whether Instacart adequately disclosed the experiments and if the tests could be considered unfair or deceptive. The agency declined to comment on the shutdown but previously said it was “disturbed” by the reported practices.

The move caps a bruising month for Instacart. Days before the watchdog report, the company agreed to refund $60 million to settle federal allegations that it misled customers about delivery fees. Turning off Eversight’s price tests buys Instacart some goodwill, but grocers now lose a data source they once touted as an AI edge.