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Dutch regulator fines Uber €825 million
Uber will appeal a Dutch penalty over automated driver account suspensions in Europe.
What happened
The Dutch Data Protection Authority fined Uber €825 million for using automated systems to deactivate European drivers’ accounts without adequately informing them. The regulator found the practice breached EU data rules on solely automated decisions. Uber announced an appeal, calling the penalty disproportionate and the policies historical.
Numbers
- €825 millionDutch penalty imposed on Uber — Uber plans to appeal
- 2018–2022Period covered by regulator’s findings — Some coverage gives a later start
Questions
- What protections do EU rules require?
- The GDPR bars decisions based solely on automated processing when they significantly affect people, and requires a route to challenge them.
- What triggered the automated suspensions?
- Uber’s software tracked behaviour and customer ratings, temporarily disabling accounts over suspected fraud or low ratings under the practices reviewed.
- How could suspensions become final?
- Persistently negative ratings could turn a temporary suspension into permanent deactivation, affecting drivers’ ability to work through the platform.
- Why did the Netherlands handle it?
- The Netherlands handled the case because Uber’s European headquarters are in Amsterdam, making its authority the lead regulator under EU rules.
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Support and opposition
Who supports this, and why
Dutch regulator — Drivers must receive clear information, human review and an effective challenge route before consequential automated account decisions.
Who opposes this, and why
Uber — The review concerns discontinued policies, while current safeguards provide human involvement and appeals for drivers who contest decisions.
The catch
Coverage differs on the period reviewed, and the authority has not published its decision.
The appeal has no hearing date.