Uber has been fined €824.99 million by Dutch data protection authorities for using automated systems to suspend or deactivate driver accounts without adequate human intervention and information for affected drivers. The penalty is the second-largest ever issued under Europe’s GDPR, behind Meta’s €1.2 billion fine in 2023.
The case concerns practices between 2018 and 2022, including automated account deactivations linked to suspected fraud and low customer ratings. French authorities became involved after a collective complaint representing more than 170 Uber drivers, while the Dutch regulator handled the investigation because Uber’s European headquarters are in Amsterdam.
The decision highlights a growing regulatory issue for technology platforms: when algorithms make decisions that directly affect a person’s ability to earn income, human oversight and transparency become critical.
Uber strongly disputes the decision and plans to appeal, arguing that its current systems include human reviews and opportunities for drivers to challenge suspensions.
The case goes beyond Uber. It demonstrates how Europe’s privacy rules are increasingly shaping the way companies can use automated decision-making in the real economy.
As algorithms gain more power over people’s lives, regulators are demanding that companies remain accountable for the decisions those systems make.
