Editor's note: Uber's and Lyft's variable-pricing strategies reflect a broader push by businesses ito optimize pricing. But their practices do not fall within the scope of "surveillance pricing," The story below has been updated to make that clear.

The Federal Trade Commission said Tuesday that it is investigating a little-known ecosystem of middlemen, including corporate giants Accenture, JPMorgan Chase & Co., Mastercard and McKinsey & Co., to explore how it helps clients set different prices for different consumers based on browsing histories, past purchases, credit histories and other personal information.