The Netherlands’ DPA fines Uber nearly €825 million
The DPA announced on 21 August that Uber used software to track drivers' (driving) behaviour and to track customer reviews. Between 2018-2022, some driver accounts were automatically deactivated if Uber suspected fraud or if there were not enough customer reviews. The process lacked any human involvement. The DPA’s view is that Uber has violated the prohibition of fully automated decision-making under the GDPR. It also says that Uber did not sufficiently inform drivers about automatic decision-making. Uber has now changed its practices, the DPA says.
Uber has appealed the decision. “We strongly disagree with this decision and disproportionate fine,” a spokesperson said. “We take decisions that affect drivers’ ability to earn extremely seriously and we’re fully committed to fair treatment. This includes human reviews, robust safeguards and the opportunity for drivers to appeal our decisions if they believe we made a mistake.”
While Uber has its main establishment in the Netherlands, the Dutch DPA decision was taken together with France’s regulator, the CNIL, as the initial complaints stemmed from France. The Dutch DPA has also aligned the fining decision with other European Data Protection Authorities.
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