Dutch Regulator Fines Uber €825 Million Over Automated Driver Deactivations

The Dutch Data Protection Authority (Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens, or AP) has fined Uber 824,990,000 euros—approximately $966 million—for violating the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The penalty stems from the company's use of fully automated systems to deactivate driver accounts, a practice that stripped workers of their livelihoods without human intervention.

The investigation was triggered after 171 French drivers reported the issue to the Ligue des droits de l’Homme (LDH), which subsequently filed a complaint with the CNIL. Because Uber maintains its European headquarters in the Netherlands, the AP took the lead on the case. The regulator found that between 2020 and 2022, Uber employed algorithms to make final decisions on account suspensions and deactivations. The resulting fine represents approximately 1.85% of the company's turnover, or roughly 46% of the maximum available penalty under GDPR guidelines.

A Pattern of Regulatory Friction

This latest penalty is part of a broader, escalating conflict between Uber and the Dutch regulator. The AP has repeatedly targeted the company for its data handling practices. In 2024, Uber was hit with a 290 million euro fine for the improper transfer of European driver data to the United States. This followed a 10 million euro penalty issued in the 2023/2024 period. These recurring clashes highlight a systemic tension between Uber's algorithmic management style and the European Union's stringent data privacy framework.

The Fight Against Algorithmic Management

This case serves as a critical enforcement of the EU's stance on "automated individual decision-making." Under the GDPR, decisions that produce significant legal or financial effects—such as the loss of a primary source of income—cannot be made solely by an algorithm. The law requires a "human in the loop" to ensure fairness and provide a mechanism for appeal.

Monique Verdier, deputy chair of the AP, emphasized the necessity of human oversight in these processes, stating, "A computer should not make decisions on its own that have major consequences for you." For the gig economy, this sets a high bar for how platforms manage their workforce, signaling that efficiency cannot override the fundamental right to human review.

What's Next

While the AP has issued the fine, the industry is watching to see how Uber adapts its account management software to comply with the "human-in-the-loop" requirement. The ruling may prompt other platform-based companies operating in the EU to audit their automated termination processes to avoid similar nine-figure penalties. It remains to be seen if Uber will seek to challenge the ruling in court, as it has with previous regulatory disputes.