What is the DoorDash agitation index patent Lindsay Owens described?

Lindsay Owens said DoorDash filed a patent for an agitation index built from 16 factors, including how fast and how jerkily a user scrolls in the app, phone battery level and screen brightness. The score could be tied to which promotions or discounts a user received. Owens said she and Senator Josh Hawley discussed the patent at a congressional hearing over the summer, and DoorDash quietly withdrew it a few days later.

• Owens compared it to a 1990s Coca-Cola plan, floated by then-CEO Doug Ivester, for vending machines that charge more on hot days.
• Coca-Cola backed away from the thermometer idea after public outcry.

▸In their words

“And the agitation index was made up of 16 different factors.” Lindsay Owens · at 30:28 — open in the transcript →

Source: our own transcription of the episode. The full conversation is on This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von (2026-11-03). Read the whole episode summary →

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