Uber has been fined almost €825 million by the Dutch Data Protection Authority over the use of automated systems to suspend and deactivate driver accounts.
The regulator said Uber made decisions affecting drivers through automated processes without providing sufficient information or meaningful human involvement, which it concluded breached European data protection law.
The investigation concerned incidents between 2018 and 2022 and followed complaints involving drivers in France. The case was handled by the Dutch regulator because Uber’s European headquarters are based in the Netherlands.
According to the regulator, automated systems were used in situations including suspected fraud and driver ratings, with affected drivers potentially losing access to the platform and therefore their ability to earn through Uber.
The penalty totals €824.99 million and is one of the largest fines issued under the General Data Protection Regulation, better known as GDPR.
Uber disputes the regulator’s findings and has said it intends to appeal.
The company says permanent driver deactivations were not carried out without human involvement and maintains that drivers have access to review and appeal processes. Uber also disputes parts of the regulator’s interpretation of how its systems operated.
The case is particularly significant for gig-economy workers because losing access to an app can have an immediate impact on a driver’s ability to earn an income.
It also adds to the wider debate around how automated systems and algorithms are used by ride-hailing platforms when making decisions that can directly affect drivers.
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