"Uber drivers launch European class action over ‘soulless’ and ‘scary’ AI algorithm", 2 Sep 2026

...Drivers from the UK, the Netherlands and other countries have joined the compensation claim that could run into billions of dollars. It alleges an AI-powered pay-setting system breaches data protection laws and pushes down their earnings .

The claim has been filed at Amsterdam's district court, where the... San Francisco tech company has its European HQ...

The case centres on an opaque “black box” algorithm fed on information about drivers, which sets a personalised rate for each ride . Drivers fear it pushes down fares to the minimum they are willing to accept...

Relating to about 241,000 drivers across the EU and the UK, the claim alleges that Uber has unlawfully used automated decision-making, including profiling, in dynamically setting pay and allocating work.

The lawsuit, which also claims the company unlawfully used driver data to train its AI models, is seeking damages for affected drivers and an injunction to halt the conduct which it claims breaches GDPR data regulations...

The drivers claim Uber has operated dynamic pay-setting in the UK since 2023, pushing down their annual incomes by about £5,000...

Uber said it did not adjust the price offered for a trip based on an individual driver's behaviour and that a history of accepting or rejecting trips was not used to personalise pay offers...

'While we haven't seen the claim yet, we categorically reject the allegations,' an Uber spokesperson said . 'The Uber app uses real-time information about the trip such as journey, duration and destination to calculate fares .'"...