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Its no secret companies are collecting data while consumers browse their sites. But some companies are doing more with the info than trying improve products or marketing efforts: They are adjusting prices for individual customers based on their personal data. This practice, known as surveillance pricing, has become more common in recent years, with more companies embracing artificial intelligence as a tool to make real-time price changes for individual customers. However, a new bill aims to stop these companies in their tracks. Representative Greg Casar introduced the Stop AI Price Gouging and Wage Fixing Act of 2025 on July 23. While some statessuch as California, Colorado, Georgia, and Illinoishave proposed similar bans, Casars bill is the first at the federal level. Giant corporations should not be allowed to jack up your prices or lower your wages using data they got spying on you, Casar said in a statement. Whether you know it or not, you may already be getting ripped off by corporations using your personal data to charge you more. This problem is only going to get worse, and Congress should act before this becomes a full blown crisis. How surveillance pricing works Companies engaging in surveillance pricing use customer data taken from the cookiestext files containing dataor tracking pixels that continue to follow you after leaving their website, providing information on your online activity, preferences, location, and device. This data can then be analyzed by AI programs to help the companies determine a personalized price for their products or services. The ban would impact the pricing systems of numerous retailers that reportedly engage in the practice, from retailers that increase prices for pickup orders when you are close to a store, to rideshare apps that charge more when your phone battery is low. Similarly, Delta Airlines recently came under fire for plans to expand their use of AI-driven pricing. We’ve seen things like people’s browsing history, device type, battery, location, and more, inform pricing that focuses on how much that individual might be willing to pay for somethingpreying on desperation rather than using fair market pricing, Ben Winters, director of AI and data privacy at the Consumer Federation of America, told Fast Company. (The Consumer Federation of America is one of several consumer-interest organizations and advocacy groups that have endorsed the proposed bill, according to a statement by Casars office.) One of the benefits of the bill, Winters says, is that it would draw clear lines in the sand prohibiting the use of AI systems to apply data-driven pricing on consumers, and provide customers harmed by this practice the right to sue the company behind the AI-driven prices. Too few bills focused on AI and data abuse have this key feature, Winters says. It’s one of many reasons we support the bill.” The Federal Trade Commission would be the entity responsible for enforcing the ban against surveillance pricing, which would be treated as a violation of two existing FTC acts regarding unfair or deceptive acts or practices and unfair methods of competition, according to the proposed bill. Surveillance pricing may be more common than you think Last year, the Federal Trade Commission launched an investigation into surveillance pricing, hoping learn more about how companies were using personal data to change prices. The initial results, released in January, found that retailers were using everything from demographic and location information, to mouse movements and abandoned online shopping carts, to match prices to consumers. Retailers frequently use peoples personal information to set targeted, tailored prices for goods and servicesfrom a person’s location and demographics, down to their mouse movements on a webpage, FTC Chair Lina M. Khan said in a statement earlier this year. The new legislation would not impact higher prices that result from reasonable costs the business takes on to serve different customers, or lower prices from discounts for teachers, veterans, seniors, students, or rewards program members. Lawmakers and advocates that support the bill suggest the ban could make a big difference for consumers struggling to find fair prices amid rising prices and economic uncertainty. The ability to compare prices, to rely on consistent prices, and to know why a price is being chargedthis is what gives us the power to know if we are getting a fair deal,” Nidhi Hegde, executive director at the American Economic Liberties Project, said in a statement. “Surveillance pricing destroys the social contract of the marketplace.”
Category:
E-Commerce
Lyft just got a new logo, but you probably didnt notice it.Over the past few weeks, Lyft has quietly rolled out an updated logo, broadened color palette, and custom typeface on its app and across its social media platforms. The new look, designed by the branding studio Koto, is meant to serve as a natural progression of the brands existing identity, injecting it with a subtle boost of structure and maturity.According to Arthur Foliard, executive creative director at Koto, the changes come at a pivotal moment for Lyft, which is currently testing out an expansion into autonomous driving and slowly gaining on its main competitor (and dominant industry player), Uber. In an interview with Fast Company this May, Lyft CEO David Risher noted that, since he joined Lyft in 2023, the company has brought its market share in the U.S. from 26% to 31%.Lyfts blink-and-youll-miss-it new look follows a recent trend in which larger brands like Walmart and Adobe have skipped the big rebrand (which ruled the branding world several years ago) in favor of an understated-yet-practical refresh.Lyft’s previous logo (top) and new version (bottom) [Image: Koto/Lyft]Lyft’s new lookLooking at Lyfts new logo next to its old one is a bit like a game of spot the difference. But one key detail in the logo immediately jumps out: The playful path connecting the f and t characters has been severed. “The Lyft logo is one of the most recognizable in tech, so we approached it with a lot of care, Foliard says. The original had a ton of character, but it wasnt optimized for the way the brand shows up today, especially in smaller, digital contexts. The ligature between the f and t in particular caused legibility issues and sometimes felt overly stylized.[Image: Koto/Lyft]To preserve the visual cues that make Lyfts logo recognizable, Foliards team broke up the ligature but kept the spirit of the marks swooping, bold letters the same. Besides the newly separated f and t characters, the rest of the logo has been just slightly slimmed down and realigned. We adjusted the weight, spacing, and proportions to make the wordmark feel more confident and contemporary, less ornamental, more intentional, Foliard says. The result is a logo that feels mature without being cold. It still has that signature Lyft charm, but now it holds up wherever it appears, from app icons to car decals to national campaigns.That focus on versatility was also applied to Lyfts color palette and typography. Lyft Pink, the companys signature shade of neon purplish-pink, has been given a more focused role. Whereas Lyft Pink was previously used more wholesale across the branding, Koto built out an accompanying palette of off-whites, deep pinks, and neutrals to keep the bright hue reserved for the most important moments of the brand, like the logo.[Image: Koto/Lyft]One feature of the branding that was entirely overhauled is its typography. Foliard says Lyft was previously using several functional typefaces that while serviceable, didn’t quite capture Lyft’s warmth and humanity. So, in collaboration with the type design studio NaN, Kotos team created a custom typeface for Lyft called Rebel Sans. Its a classic-looking sans serif, available in a range of weights, that echoes the logo with flourishes like a half-smile shape in the y character.We wanted it to feel like it had been made by people, for people, Foliard says. It features distinct humanist detailsslight line weight variation, gentle curves, and subtle flaresthat bring a sense of the human hand into both display and text. Underneath it all, its grounded in a more geometric structure, giving it the clarity and sophistication needed to scale across the brand.[Image: Koto/Lyft]Lyft gets the baby Botox treatmentLyfts spruced-up identity is the latest in a series of similar approaches from other major brands. If the early 2020s were the heyday of the major rebrand, and 2024 was the era of the dialed-back brand refresh, then 2025 is currently seeing an even more minimal wave of baby Botox branding. This year, several brands have moved away from headline-grabbing overhauls in favor of small updates that are intended to fly under the radar. For an ultra-recognizable brand like Walmart, this approach is meant to avoid alienating the customer by shedding too much core brand affinity at once. In January, Walmart introduced its biggest branding update in two decadesan update that, rather than actually replacing any assets, instead opted to simply spruce up the existing look with brighter colors and chunkier shapes. Other brands, like Amazon (which also worked with Koto on its logo touch-up) and Google, have similarly rolled out new logos in rcent months that would likely require a trained eye to spot. In May, Mother Design studio, which gave Adobes logotype a subtle facelift, encapsulated this trend by explaining that its goal was to create an update that looks as if it’s always been there. For Lyft, Foliard says, this new branding wasn’t about changing who Lyft is, but rather about sharpening what was already there.The timing felt right to strike that balance between evolution and preservation, ensuring the brand could grow with the business while keeping the heart and humanity that made it iconic in the first place, Foliard says.
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E-Commerce
A stable “release” version of Apple’s iOS 26 is due in September, but you can now try an in-progress version, called the public beta. It previews a revamped interface and new features in apps like Messages and Phone (both with spam filtering), Camera, Wallet, and especially CarPlay. Models starting with the iPhone 15 Pro also get upgrades to the Apple Intelligence AI suite, including live translation, improved image creation, and the ability to search visually across apps. The translucent Liquid Glass interface is seeing a bit of a revival in areas such as Notification Center, after Apple toned it down in earlier betas. Is the iOS26 public beta safe to install? The public beta follows four developer betas meant for app creators (although others tend to install betas out of curiosity). Adding the word public doesn’t mean this beta is without risks. To get it, you have to accept an agreement that absolves Apple of responsibility for any problems it may cause. This includes brickingrendering the phone inoperable. It’s safest to test the public beta on a spare device, which Apple’s beta site strongly recommends. You can lower the risk to an old model or your current one by first backing up your iPhone and learning how to unbrick and roll it back to the latest release version of iOS 18. We’ll walk you through how to do that further down. These tips may also help with glitches you may encounter in the release version. How to get iOS 26 public beta First, check whether your iPhone supports iOS 26. Apple’s list includes models back to 2019s iPhone 11 and 2020s SE (2nd generation), both using the A13 Bionic chip. If you have an iPhone X or earlier model, it may show an option to download iOS 26, but won’t let you. Getting the beta is easy: Visit the Apple Beta site, click Sign Up, and log in with the same Apple ID your iPhone uses. Signing up provides access to all Apple OS 26 betas: iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS, plus HomePod software. Does installing iOS 26 public beta void my warranty? According to Apple’s FAQ, installing the beta wont void your hardware warranty, although you will have to restore to a stable OS version before getting service. Apple Beta Software Program login screen for signing in with Apple ID But within the the roughly 5,500-word Apple Beta Software Agreement is the clause: “APPLE SHALL NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY COSTS, EXPENSES OR OTHER LIABILITIES YOU MAY INCUR . . . INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO ANY DAMAGE TO ANY EQUIPMENT, SOFTWARE OR DATA. (Fast Company has asked Apple to clarify whether “equipment” would include the iPhone hardware and will update if we get an answer.) The agreement does say that the company may provide support through its beta program, at Apples option. TL;DR: Dont count on help, and take your own precautions. How to back up your iPhone before installing iOS 26 public beta Before you do anything, first back up your iPhone. The easiest way is online: Go to Settings, then click your name, iCloud > iCloud Backup. Apple provides 5GB of free storage. Paid tiers start at 50GB for $0.99 per month and 200GB for $2.99. You can also back up to a computer over USB. In recent versions of macOS: Open Finder, click your iPhone in the left panel, then click Back Up Now. Windows or macOS Mojave (10.14) and earlier should use iTunes. (Yes, it’s still out there.) Click the Device button near the top left of the iTunes window, then Click Summary > Back Up Now. Before installing iOS 26 public beta, note these backup options in your macOS Finder. How to download and install iOS26 public beta on your iPhone Now comes the main event. On your iPhone, click Settings > General > Software Update. Click Beta Updates to see multiple options on the next screen, including Off and possibly betas for several versions of iOS. Click to place a check mark next to iOS 26 Public Beta. Then tap the back button and click Update Now. iPhone screenshots showing how to select iOS 26 Public Beta from the Beta Updates menu How to roll back from iOS 26 beta In the event that iOS 26 does brick your phone, a new tool called Recovery Assistant may automatically activate, allowing you to monitor the process wirelessly from another Apple device. If Recovery Assistant doesnt appear or work, try the old-fashioned way: Connect the iPhone to your computer over USB and open Finder or iTunes (depending on your computer operating system). Press and release the iPhone’s volume up button, then the volume down button. Then press and hold the side button until you see the Recovery Mode screen with cable and computer icons. If you dont see them, throw yourself at the mercy of Apple Support by contacting them online. MacOS Finder shows iPhone in Recovery Mode with the option to update or restore for iOS 26 beta installation. If you do, Finder or iTunes will show the message There is a problem with the iPhone that requires it to be updated or restored. Its best to select the Restore option, which erases the Phone and installs the latest public release of iOS. Then restore the deeted data and settings from your backup.
Category:
E-Commerce
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