The Dutch Data Protection Authority, (DPA) has fined Uber the sum of €10 million.
The ride-hailing company Uber was fined for breaking data security laws in Europe. Those laws protect the privacy of all drivers, according to reports.
In a statement, the Dutch Data Protection Authority (DPA) said that Uber was fined because it didn’t give complete information about how long it keeps data about European drivers or name the non-European countries with which it shares this data. The DPA also said that Uber had made it hard for its drivers to use their privacy rights.
The French data protection authority (DPA) gave the fine after more than 170 French drivers reported to the Ligue des droits de l’Homme et du citoyen (LDH), which then told the DPA about the complaints.
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Drivers’ warnings
Uber drivers have the right to know how Uber manages their data, said DPA Chairman Aleid Wolfsen. Uber didn’t clarify the situation. Drivers should have been notified more thoroughly.
It helps To secure personal data, and transparency is essential. If you don’t know how your data is handled, you can’t tell if you’re being prejudiced. You can’t defend your liberty.”
Uber’s crimes
Wolfsen said that the DPA said Uber made it too hard for drivers to ask for personal data files. There was a form in the driver app asking for data access, but it was hidden in a menu and hard to find. It should’ve been more straightforward to find.
Uber handled access requests by placing information in a file with unclear personal data.
In their privacy terms and conditions, Uber did not indicate how long it holds drivers’ data or how it secures it while transmitting it to non-EEA businesses. It reveals that Uber created many barriers to drivers’ privacy, which is illegal. Uber should support drivers’ rights. The legislation says so, Wolfsen stated.
The DPA evaluated the organisation’s size and the breaches’ seriousness to decide the penalties. At the time of the violations, Uber had 120,000 European drivers.
Uber objected to the DPA’s judgement. Uber has made substantial improvements, according to the DPA.
What to know
As technology evolves, governments worldwide are taking data protection seriously. Many nations have adopted data protection rules based on Europe’s 2018 General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
Nigeria courageously formed the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) to secure citizens’ data by signing the Nigerian Data Protection Act. Dr. Vincent Olatunji’s NDPC started last week that it investigated 17 significant data breaches in banking, technology, education, consulting, government, logistics, and gaming/lottery.q