Jan 25, 2018

Lyft staffers reportedly viewed consumers' private information

Haley Britzky

A Lyft driver navigates to her passenger. Photo: Mike Coppola / Getty Images for Lyft

TechCrunch reports that Lyft staffers were able to view passengers' information, including where they were picked up and dropped off, and the feedback from drivers about their customers. Lyft says it is investigating the issue.

Why it matters, per Axios' Dan Primack: Lyft has portrayed itself as the ethical alternative to Uber, but the contrast might not really be quite so stark.

  • Lyft told TechCrunch that some employees need access to this data to do their jobs; those departments include engineering, insurance, the trust and safety team, and more.
  • TechCrunch learned from "a supposed Lyft staffer" that other employees "could use Lyft's backend software to view unmasked personally identifiable information."
  • Lyft said to TechCrunch in a statement: "The specific allegations in this post would be a violation of Lyft’s policies and a cause for termination, and have not been raised with our Legal or Executive teams. We are conducting an investigation into the matter."

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National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien. Photo: Chris Usher/CBS via Getty Images

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Photo: Iranian Supreme Leader Press Office/Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

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Why it matters: Voter turnout in the election only reached 42.57%, according to Iran's interior ministry, the first time turnout dipped below 50% since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. The low turnout may signal dissatisfaction with the Iranian government and the election system.

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