The Dutch Data Protection Authority announced on the 21st that it has imposed a fine of 825 million euros (about 3.894 billion ringgit) on the American ride-hailing operator Uber, on the grounds that Uber deactivated drivers’ accounts through automated systems without adequately fulfilling relevant notification and human review obligations, violating provisions of the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
Uber has announced that it will appeal this penalty.
The Dutch Data Protection Authority said that between 2018 and 2022, Uber used software to track drivers’ driving behaviors and passenger ratings. If the software detected suspected fraudulent activity or passenger ratings were too low, the relevant driver’s account would be automatically deactivated. This process occurred without human review, causing harm to the interests of the drivers.
This situation was first reported by more than 170 French Uber drivers. As Uber’s European headquarters is located in Amsterdam, the Dutch Data Protection Authority immediately launched an investigation.
In recent years, the Dutch Data Protection Authority has repeatedly fined Uber. In 2023, Uber was fined 10 million euros; in 2024, Uber was fined 290 million euros for transferring European drivers’ personal data to the United States.