Dutch regulator fines Uber $966m for automating driver suspensions

The Dutch data protection authority has fined Uber €825 million ($966 million) for deactivating driver accounts through automated systems without adequately informing them. This decision, made on August 17th, stems from incidents between 2018 and 2022 and was handled by the Dutch regulator due to Uber's European headquarters being located there. The authority stated that Uber committed serious infringements by deactivating accounts without warning or human involvement, impacting drivers' income. Uber plans to appeal the decision, arguing it is disproportionate and that its policies include human reviews and dispute opportunities. The fine was calculated as a fraction of Uber's projected annual turnover, and a digital-rights group involved in initiating the investigation is preparing a class-action suit.

Dutch data protection authorities have fined Uber 825 million euros ($964 million) for violating the EU's General Data Protection Regulation. The fine, imposed on Friday, stems from Uber's use of automated software between 2018 and 2022 to suspend driver accounts, sometimes permanently, without human review. Regulators stated that this fully automated decision-making process is prohibited under EU data privacy rules, and Uber also failed to inform drivers about this practice. Uber has stated it disagrees with the decision and plans to appeal, asserting that the examined policies are no longer in effect and that the company is committed to fair treatment with human reviews and appeal opportunities. This marks the fourth fine imposed on Uber by the authority.