Justin Kloczko

Justin Kloczko writes about tech, energy and insurance for Consumer Watchdog. He’s covered privacy issues extensively, including data collection, privacy rights and legislation, artificial intelligence, algorithms, and surveillance pricing.
 
He’s a recovering daily newspaper reporter with experience covering local government, education, and the criminal justice system at the Hartford Advocate, Middletown Press, and  Manchester Journal Inquirer. His work has appeared in Vice, Daily Beast, The New Republic, KCRW and Los Angeles Magazine.
 
While covering civil litigation at the Los Angeles Daily Journal he won LA Press Club awards for his stories detailing corruption at the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office and the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power. The stories led to the criminal prosecutions of multiple city officials. Justin also authored The Debaser, an independent newsletter about LA culture and politics that garnered him an appearance on the ABC/Hulu documentary about disgraced plaintiff’s attorney Tom Girardi called “The Housewife and the Hustler.”

Lowball: What Fire Survivors Want You To Know About Insurance Claims

As of June 2025, all 165 standing homes from which testing data has been collected by the resident-led coalition Eaton Fire Residents United showed...

Lowball: What Fire Survivors Want You To Know About Insurance Claims

As thousands of policyholders navigate the home insurance claims process in California following the Eaton and Pacific Palisades fires, many are finding out that the damage wrought on their still standing homes by smoke and heat isn’t being paid for.

San Francisco Standard – We’re not just watching prices – prices are watching us

By Justin Kloczko, SAN FRANCISCO STANDARD https://sfstandard.com/opinion/2025/05/27/were-not-watching-prices-prices-are-watching-us You’re at home, scrolling online to find a nearby store to buy a TV. You find one, drive to the...

Surveillance Pricing Bill Moves Forward

AB 446 prohibits businesses from using personal information of a consumer to adjust the price of goods.

NEWS RELEASE: Surveillance Pricing Bill Moves Forward

AB 446 Stops Businesses From Setting Prices Based on Data.

CA Privacy Agency Goes DOGE on Data Regulations for AI and Algorithms

California's top privacy agency has gutted regs surrounding data and algorithmic decisions.

94.1 KPFA: A Rude Awakening – Consumer Watchdog Report: Dirty Deal

On today’s show, California’s autonomy over its utilities is under threat according to a new report by Consumer Watchdog entitled, “Dirty Deal:  How A Corporate...

Dirty Deal: How A Corporate Utility Fixer Is Poised To Turn Over California Climate Law To Trump

A new investigative report by Consumer Watchdog explains the sudden reversal by electric worker and corporate lobbyist Scott Wetch to support a controversial energy bill...

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Consumer Alert Details Uber Example of Surveillance Pricing

Uber Tells Us One Thing and Does Another Los Angeles,...

New Episode of Smoke & Mirrors Explores Why Fire Survivors Want California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara Out

A backdoor agreement between California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara and major insurance companies led to a wave of dropped policies before 2025’s catastrophic LA fires.
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