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DC Lyft drivers ditch window stickers for light bars

By Jeff Clabaugh

WASHINGTON — Lyft drivers in the Washington area can now use what Lyft calls the Lyft Amp, a dashboard mounted light bar with a “beaconing” feature that makes it easier for riders to spot their car.

The LED light bar reads “Lyft” on the front and changes colors to match the color displayed on the Lyft app the passenger who the driver is picking up is looking at.

The idea is to make it easier for riders to identify their ride — a feature that could be especially helpful outside of bars, restaurants or events where multiple people are waiting for their ride-hailing driver.

The back of the device also displays messages, updating drivers when new passengers are added to their queue, welcoming passengers by name and providing support to deaf or hard-of-hearing passengers by enabling communication between the driver and the Lyft platform.

The Lyft Amp is now being distributed to drivers in the mid-Atlantic market who have completed at least 250 rides.

Lyft has a demo video for drivers on its website.

Massachusetts court hears arguments in lawsuit alleging Meta designed apps to be addictive to kids

By The Associated Press
BOSTON (AP) — Massachusetts' highest court heard oral arguments Friday in the state's lawsuit arguing that Meta designed features on Facebook and Instagram to make them addictive to young users. The lawsuit, filed in 2023 by Attorney General Andrea Campbell, alleges that Meta did this to make a profit and that its actions affected hundreds of thousands of teenagers in Massachusetts who use the social media platforms. “We are making claims based only on the tools that Meta has developed because its own research shows they encourage addiction to the platform in a variety of ways,” said State Solicitor David Kravitz, adding that the state's claim has nothing to do the company's algorithms or failure to moderate content. Meta said Friday that it strongly disagrees with the allegations and is “confident the evidence will show our longstanding commitment to supporting young people.” Its attorney, Mark Mosier, argued in court that the lawsuit “would impose liabilities for performing traditional publishing functions” and that its actions are protected by the First Amendment.
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