Uber Fined €825 Mln Over Automated Driver Deactivations

THE HAGUE, Aug 22 (Bernama-Xinhua) -- Uber has been fined €825 million (about US$963.45 million) for using automated systems to deactivate drivers’ accounts without properly informing them or providing adequate human review, the Dutch privacy watchdog said on Friday, reported Xinhua.

The Dutch Data Protection Authority (AP) said the United States (US) ride-hailing company had violated the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation, which restricts decisions made solely through automated processing when they have significant effects on individuals.

Uber drivers suspected of fraud or receiving customer ratings deemed too low could have their accounts automatically suspended, while persistently low ratings could lead to permanent deactivation, the AP said.

“Uber committed serious violations. Drivers were deactivated without warning,” AP Deputy Chair Monique Verdier said.

“A computer should not make decisions on its own that have major consequences for you. These decisions should first have been reviewed by a human.”

The investigation followed complaints from 171 French drivers and examined Uber's practices between 2018 and 2022.

The Dutch regulator handled the case because Uber's European headquarters are in the Netherlands.

The penalty marks the fourth fine imposed on Uber by the AP. Uber said it would appeal the decision.

-- BERNAMA-XINHUA