DistantNews
Support us
Dutch authority fines Uber 825 million euros for driver account deactivations
🇳🇱 Netherlands /Crime & Justice

Dutch authority fines Uber 825 million euros for driver account deactivations

From NRC Handelsblad · () Dutch

Translated from Dutch, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News From a news agency Outcome reported
  • Dutch data protection authority fined Uber 825 million euros for automatically deactivating driver accounts without notification.
  • The violations occurred between 2020 and 2022, with the investigation stemming from a French complaint.
  • Uber disputes the decision and the fine amount, calling it disproportionate, and the penalty is one of the largest under the EU's privacy law.

The Dutch Data Protection Authority has imposed a hefty fine of 825 million euros on Uber. The taxi company is penalized for automatically deactivating driver accounts without informing them. These alleged violations took place between 2020 and 2022.

The investigation was reportedly initiated following a complaint from France. The Dutch supervisory authority issued the fine because Uber's European headquarters are located in Amsterdam.

Uber has stated its fundamental disagreement with the decision, deeming the fine amount disproportionate. A spokesperson for the company told ANP that they "fundamentally disagree with this decision and find the amount of the fine disproportionate."

The fine is reportedly the second-largest ever imposed under the European privacy law, the GDPR. In 2023, Meta, Facebook's parent company, paid 1.2 billion euros for illegally transferring European Facebook users' data to the United States.

We are fundamentally disagree with this decision and find the amount of the fine disproportionate.

— Uber spokespersonResponding to the fine imposed by the Dutch Data Protection Authority.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by NRC Handelsblad in Dutch. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog