Uber €825 million Dutch GDPR fine over automated driver suspensions

The Dutch Data Protection Authority has fined Uber €825 million for using automated systems to deactivate driver accounts without adequately informing the drivers, a decision tied to GDPR violations. Regulators found that automated decision-making in cases with significant consequences for drivers violated their rights and that Uber failed to provide proper notice about such actions. The incidents occurred between 2020 and 2022, arising from fraud flags and other automated suspensions, with some drivers permanently affected due to low ratings. Uber said it would appeal the decision and argued that its current policies include human review and meaningful driver recourse, noting that the company no longer relies on automated-only permanent deactivations. The penalty would be one of the largest under the GDPR, second only to Meta’s €1.2 billion fine in 2023, and highlights ongoing EU scrutiny of automated decision-making by platform companies. Regulators stress that GDPR requires significant human involvement and a clear process for drivers to challenge automated outcomes, potentially raising compliance costs for Uber and similar platforms across Europe.