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Uber Gets $324 Million Fine for Privacy Failures
Uber, a popular ride-hailing platform, has reportedly violated European data protection laws. According to the Dutch Data Protection Authority, the company sent sensitive information to the United States.
Dutch Data Protection Authority Fines Uber
The DPA announced on Monday that it has fined Uber €290 million ($324 million) for gathering sensitive data from European drivers and then transferring it to the U.S. without appropriate safeguards.
Among the personal data were account details, taxi licenses, photos, identification documents, and, in some cases, criminal and medical data.
However, Uber rejected the ruling saying it was a flawed decision and was thoroughly unjust.
Note that, the Dutch DPA regulates privacy in the Netherlands and enforces the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
This regulation allows people to request their online data and restricts how businesses obtain and handle the information. It requires businesses transferring and storing personal data outside Europe to take additional security measures to ensure its protection.
Aleid Wolfsen, head of the Dutch agency, said in a statement, “Uber did not meet the requirements of the G.D.P.R. to ensure the level of protection to the data about transfers to the U.S. But sadly, this is not self-evident outside Europe.”
Also Read: Uber Launches New Service Amidst Drivers Protest
Third DPA Penalty On Uber
This is the third penalty by the Dutch data protection authority on Uber.
It was previously fined for not providing sufficient transparency about how long it retained data from European drivers and to which countries outside Europe this data was forwarded.
In 2018, it was penalized for not informing the Dutch watchdog about a data breach in time.
However, Uber will not have to pay the fine until after a ruling on its appeal, which could take up to four years.
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