The driver entered the app, but the account was blocked, so the driver could not pick up passengers.

CNIL explained that drivers whose accounts were blocked could not drive and could not earn income through Uber. The Dutch Data Protection Authority AP imposed a fine of 824,990,000 euros on Uber B.V. and Uber Technologies Inc. This series follows one artificial intelligence incident that has not yet gone to court and the response that followed. This case is the Uber driver account automated blocking fine case. The basis is CNIL, 2026-08-24, https://www.cnil.fr/fr/decisions-automatisees-sanction-de-pres-de-825-millions-deuros-lencontre-duber.

NOS Nieuws reported that the matter took place from 2018 to 2022 and began with complaints from French drivers. The Netherlands handled the case because Uber's European headquarters were in Amsterdam. It also reported the authority's position that Uber did not properly inform drivers of the automated system's decisions. The basis is NOS Nieuws, 2026-08-21, https://nos.nl/artikel/2627738-uber-schond-rechten-chauffeurs-ap-legt-megaboete-van-825-miljoen-op.

Reuters gave unnecessary detours and accepting ride requests without intending to complete them as examples of suspected fraud. An automated individual decision is a decision in which a program reaches a conclusion about a person before a human stops or corrects it. The GDPR requires meaningful human review and a channel for objection when such a decision has a significant effect. The basis is Reuters via The Guardian, 2026-08-21, https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/aug/21/netherlands-fines-uber-automated-driver-suspensions.

AP News reported the authority's position that automated software suspended driver accounts and that some accounts were permanently suspended. AP News also reported the explanation that there was no human review to check for errors. Uber countered that the policy had been discontinued long ago and that it now provides human review and an opportunity to appeal. The basis is AP News, 2026-08-21, https://apnews.com/article/uber-fine-automated-suspensions-netherlands-e64385dc72fd2da440a68babd1ae2fb1.

UOL Tilt reported that AP vice chair Monique Verdier spoke to the effect that a computer should not make decisions with serious consequences on its own. It also reported that former French Uber driver Brahim Ben Ali and PersonalData.io were involved in data collection and preparations for a class action seeking compensation. This case grew from one driver's failed login into an issue of platform workers' rights. The basis is UOL Tilt, 2026-08-24, https://www.uol.com.br/tilt/noticias/redacao/2026/08/24/uber-recebe-multa-de-825-milhoes-por-suspensoes-automaticas.ghtm.

The judgment of a Korean lawyer writing about AI and law is as follows. Responsibility should rest with the company that designed and operated the system. Product liability originally began with defects in physical goods. However, if a platform's automated blocking system is a core mechanism that cuts off a driver's work, the same principle should apply. Blocking without explanation and review without records should be treated as defects.

The standard for judging negligence should also be shifted toward the company. A structure that tells drivers to prove an error while they do not know the reason is wrong. The company should prove when a human reviewed the case, what materials were used to make the judgment, and why the account was blocked. Insurance underwriting should also be based on these records. If there are no automated decision logs and no records of handling objections, the case should not be viewed as low risk. A regulator's authority should not stop at fines. Automated decisions that cut off a livelihood should be followed by suspension orders, orders to submit materials, and orders to prevent recurrence.

CNIL, 2026-08-24, https://www.cnil.fr/fr/decisions-automatisees-sanction-de-pres-de-825-millions-deuros-lencontre-duber.

NOS Nieuws, 2026-08-21, https://nos.nl/artikel/2627738-uber-schond-rechten-chauffeurs-ap-legt-megaboete-van-825-miljoen-op.

Reuters via The Guardian, 2026-08-21, https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/aug/21/netherlands-fines-uber-automated-driver-suspensions.

AP News, 2026-08-21, https://apnews.com/article/uber-fine-automated-suspensions-netherlands-e64385dc72fd2da440a68babd1ae2fb1.

UOL Tilt, 2026-08-24, https://www.uol.com.br/tilt/noticias/redacao/2026/08/24/uber-recebe-multa-de-825-milhoes-por-suspensoes-automaticas.ghtm.