Lyft thought some users' real names were offensive content. Candice Poon, Cara Dick, Mike Finger and others were ordered to get new names by December 21.

• Some Lyft users received a strange notification on Thursday informing them that their names violated company guidelines.
• Some of these people had names that could be mistaken as suggestive of inappropriate words.
• The company said in a response to a customer that the message was sent in error when it was trying to improve its systems.
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Some Lyft users received a message from the company on Thursday saying that their names violate the ride-hailing service's community guidelines.

In the notification, Lyft didn't provide a reason for flagging the account beyond saying that the name "doesn't align with its Community Guidelines." Many of the Lyft members who received the prompt have names that could be mistaken for inappropriate content, such as Nicole Cumming, Cara Dick, and Dick DeBartolo. The notification told users that they must change their name by December 21.

Lyft said in a statement to Business Insider that the prompt was sent in error.

"Some members of the Lyft community were using names that were either inaccurate, offensive or both. In trying to fix the problem, we cast too wide of a net," a company spokesperson said. "We were well-intentioned, but our response clearly led to errors that we are working to correct, and we apologize."

The company has also been responding to affected customers, as shown in a response that one person shared on Twitter.

"This message was sent in error," Lyft's response to affected user Candace Poon read. "We were trying to improve our systems to create a safe and respectful community, and we missed the mark here. Rest assured, your name does not violate our Community Guidelines, and we're sorry that we sent you an email that communicated otherwise."

Regardless, the incident resulted in confusion and left some Lyft users unsure of how to proceed with the situation since they were being told that their legal name doesn't comply with its policies.

My name - Nicole Cumming - has been flagged as inappropriate by Lyft. I'm not thrilled with my name either, but I had no idea it violated Community Guidelines. pic.twitter.com/qusvDTsAxy

- Nicole Cumming (@necummi) December 19, 2019

Hey @lyft, if I can't use my legal name what exactly would you like me to use... pic.twitter.com/rBeJ1hJ7B0

- Cara Dick (@caradick) December 19, 2019

Email: We noticed the name on your Lyft account doesn't align with our Community Guidelines.....be respectful to help create a comfortable ride for all. We're asking you to update your display name by 12/21. My display name: Dick DeBartolo.

- Dick DeBartolo (@thegizwiz) December 19, 2019

Hey, @lyft, I realize it might be hard to believe, but it's really my name, and you need to get your mind out of the gutter. pic.twitter.com/wR7b8crlYr

- Mike Finger (@mikefinger) December 19, 2019

I can't change my birth name for you?! @lyft pic.twitter.com/bfcfrXudTv

- hereforcontent (@Kikeyinks) December 19, 2019

Hey @Lyft/@AskLyft,
Community guidelines are great and all, but it's ironic asking us for respect in the community when you flagged my REAL last name as a violation pic.twitter.com/py7ruDLcgn

- Candice Poon (@candicepoon) December 19, 2019