Uber drivers in Europe sue over dynamic pricing

Uber drivers from across Europe have filed a class action lawsuit against the US ride-hailing company, claiming it violated privacy laws and used dynamic pricing algorithms to reduce their income.

Worker Info Exchange International said it represents several thousand Uber drivers in Belgium, Britain, France, Germany, Poland and Romania in the action registered in an Amsterdam court on Wednesday.

The group said dynamic pricing changes made since 2020 had shifted risk to drivers while allowing Uber to increase what it called a hidden commission, in some cases taking nearly half the fare. Dynamic pricing changes the price of a product or service according to demand.

A study by consultancy Oxera for WIE International found that 66 percent of Uber drivers in Britain lost an average of 5,337 pounds, or $7,202, a year in income through the changes. It found that 48 percent of drivers in the Netherlands lost an average of 7,500 euros, or $8,700, a year.

WIE International also said Uber illegally used drivers' personal data for machine learning and illegally transferred personal data to the United States between August 2021 and November 2023.

The case was launched in the Netherlands, where Uber has its European headquarters. Uber did not immediately comment.

The Netherlands' digital protection authority last month fined Uber 825 million euros over its handling of driver accounts. Uber said it would appeal.