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Uber Fined €825M for Driver Account Deactivations
21 Aug
Summary
- Uber faces an €825 million fine from Dutch authorities.
- The penalty stems from automated driver account deactivations.
- Drivers were not adequately informed about automated decisions.
The Dutch Data Protection Authority (AP) has issued a substantial €825 million fine to Uber, citing violations of European data protection rules. This penalty, imposed on August 17, 2026, concerns the company's practice of deactivating driver accounts through automated systems without providing adequate information to the affected drivers.
The fine is notable as the second-largest ever levied under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), trailing only a previous €1.2 billion penalty against Meta. Uber has stated it will appeal the decision, arguing the fine is disproportionate and that its current policies include human reviews for account suspensions.
GDPR regulations prohibit automated decisions with significant consequences, requiring human review and the right to challenge. The AP determined that Uber infringed upon drivers' rights to not be subjected to such automated decisions and their right to be informed, deeming it a serious violation warranting the large financial penalty.
This case stems from incidents occurring in Europe between 2020 and 2022, initially prompted by a complaint filed in France. The Dutch regulator handled the case due to Uber's European headquarters being located in the Netherlands. While Uber maintains that permanent deactivations were not solely automated, the AP's decision addresses the core issue of insufficient transparency and human oversight in automated account actions.
