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Cars have hit delivery robots in DC test

By Jeff Clabaugh

WASHINGTON — A package delivery robot test that’s been underway around Logan Circle in the District since last summer hasn’t been entirely without incident.

London-based Starship Technologies, the only company that applied to participate in the District’s Personal Delivery Device pilot program, has reported to the District Department of Transportation three collisions that have occurred during operations, all of which involved a motor vehicle striking the PDD.

Starship Technologies also says that in each case the PDD had the right of way and the motor vehicle operator failed to yield.

Since last June, the delivery robots have made more than 6,500 trips, traveling at a speed of a little over 2 mph. The average delivery distance is about 1.5 miles.

Under the terms of the city’s pilot program, Starship Technologies is allowed to deploy a maximum of five PDDs at any given time.

For safety, the robots are outfitted with nine cameras that are always recording, and two-way audio to communicate with people they interact with.

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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