Uber Fined 825 Million Euros for Automated Driver Suspensions

The Netherlands Data Protection Authority (AP) has fined Uber 825 million euros for violating the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) by using automated systems to suspend and deactivate driver accounts without human review. The penalty is the second largest ever issued under the GDPR, surpassed only by a 1.2 billion euro fine against Meta in 2023. The violations took place between 2018 and 2022 and involved a fraud detection tool and a ratings based system that could permanently remove drivers with low customer scores. The AP stated that these decisions had major consequences for drivers who lost their income overnight without prior human evaluation. The case originated from a complaint filed in 2021 by the Ligue des droits de l'Homme (LDH) in France on behalf of 171 drivers. Because Uber's European headquarters are located in Amsterdam, the Dutch authority handled the case in cooperation with the CNIL. Uber has stated that it strongly disagrees with the decision and the size of the fine, which it describes as disproportionate. The company intends to appeal the ruling and notes that its current policies now include human review and a dispute process. This is the latest in a series of penalties for Uber from the AP, including a 10 million euro fine in 2023 and a 290 million euro fine in 2024 regarding the transfer of European driver data to the United States.