Uber hit with €825 million fine over algorithmic bans

The Dutch Data Protection Authority has fined Uber nearly 825 million euros — roughly 966 million US dollars. The charge: for years, Uber let an algorithm deactivate driver accounts automatically, without sufficient warning and without a human reviewing the decision. According to the regulator, it is the second-largest GDPR fine ever issued.

Article 22 of the GDPR prohibits fully automated decisions with significant consequences for the people affected unless effective human oversight is in place. That is exactly where Uber failed, in the regulator's view: an account ban effectively cuts off a driver's livelihood. "A computer should not make decisions on its own that have such major consequences," deputy chair Monique Verdier said, as reported by TechCrunch.

The case began with a complaint from a single French driver in 2019; more than 170 drivers later joined. It is already the third fine Uber has received from the same authority, which acts as lead EU supervisor because Uber's European headquarters is in Amsterdam.

Uber disagrees: the company said it strongly rejects the decision and the "disproportionate fine." Most suspensions are brief, a spokesperson argued, and drivers can appeal. Uber announced it will challenge the ruling — which means the case is likely to run for years.

Beyond this single case, the decision sends a signal to every platform and AI operator in Europe: whoever lets automated systems decide over livelihoods needs demonstrable human oversight. For companies using AI-assisted processes in HR, credit scoring or customer vetting, this case becomes the reference point.