The Dutch privacy watchdog said on Friday (Aug. 21) it had fined Uber 825 million euros (about 963.45 million U.S. dollars) for using automated systems to deactivate drivers' accounts without properly informing them or providing adequate human review.
The Dutch Data Protection Authority (AP) said the U.S. 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.
(Source: Xinhua)
Related News:
China sentences former Evergrande boss Xu Jiayin to life in prison
Comment