Uber has been fined €825 million, about $966 million, by the Dutch Data Protection Authority over allegations that it used automated systems to suspend or deactivate drivers without sufficient human review. According to Reuters, the penalty is the second largest issued under the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation.
The Dutch regulator said Uber committed serious infringements by allowing automated decision-making to produce significant consequences for drivers. Deputy chair Monique Verdier said decisions with such effects should not be made solely by a computer.
Uber Disputes the Regulator’s Findings
Uber said most driver suspensions are temporary and that permanent deactivations do not occur without human review. The company also said drivers can appeal decisions.
Dutch regulators, however, said some drivers were permanently removed from the platform without human intervention. Uber disputes that finding and plans to appeal the fine.
An Uber spokesperson told Reuters that the company strongly disagreed with both the decision and the size of the penalty.
The Case Began With Driver Complaints
The investigation traces back to complaints from a group of Uber drivers who challenged how the company made deactivation decisions.
Former French Uber driver Brahim Ben Ali said his account was deactivated in 2019. He later collected testimony from 170 other drivers and brought the issue to the Netherlands, where Uber maintains its European headquarters.
The drivers received assistance from PersonalData.io, a Swiss nonprofit focused on digital rights. The group helped them obtain information about how Uber’s systems evaluated and deactivated drivers.
Founder Paul-Olivier Dehaye said a driver could complete a large number of successful trips but still face serious consequences after a single severe complaint.
Dutch Regulators Have Fined Uber Three Times
This is the third major penalty the Dutch regulator has imposed on Uber over driver data and privacy issues.
Uber was previously fined €290 million over transfers of European drivers’ personal data and €10 million over separate privacy violations. Dehaye said the cases originated from complaints made by the same group of drivers.
He also plans to pursue a class action that would allow affected drivers to seek compensation. His new company, StartClaims, is intended to support litigation and regulatory cases involving Uber before expanding to other gig-economy and advertising technology disputes.
The case centers on GDPR restrictions around automated decision-making when those decisions significantly affect individuals. The dispute now turns on how much human involvement Uber provides before permanently restricting a driver’s access to the platform.
Featured image credits: Wikimedia Commons
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